Kamloops is on the brink of a cardiac care crisis \u2014 and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n
Local leaders, physicians, and residents are calling out the NDP government and Interior Health for what they describe as years of neglect, broken promises, and bureaucratic delays that are now putting lives at risk. Despite nearly two decades of grassroots fundraising and over $2 million in community donations through the ICCHA-WISH Fund, critical cardiac services at Royal Inland Hospital have been delayed until 2040.<\/p>\n
Even more alarming, Kamloops is now left without any dedicated cardiac coverage from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. due to the departure of a cardiologist.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a health care plan \u2014 it\u2019s an abdication of responsibility,\u201d said Kamloops Centre MLA Peter Milobar. \u201cDoctors are starting to leave because there\u2019s no support \u2014 and that creates a dangerous strain on the system.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSchedule Your Heart Attack Somewhere Else\u201d<\/p>\n
Milobar and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer issued a joint statement Tuesday, accusing the NDP government of abandoning patients across the Thompson-Nicola region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe NDP\u2019s answer? \u2018Schedule\u2019 your heart attack at a hospital two hours away \u2014 as if medical emergencies run on their timetable,\u201d Milobar said. \u201cIt\u2019s a gamble with people\u2019s lives, and it\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Currently, more than 1,000 patients from Kamloops and the surrounding area must endure a two plus hour ambulance ride to Kelowna General Hospital after stabilization \u2014 a delay that can mean the difference between life and death.<\/p>\n
A Community That Refuses to Give Up<\/p>\n
Founded in 2007 by Kamloops resident Al Patel, the ICCHA-WISH Fund has led a 19-year campaign to improve cardiac care in the region. The fund has paid for essential upgrades, including a telemetry system, 4D echocardiography, and 20-year-old heart monitor replacements \u2014 all without government help.<\/p>\n
In 2018, their efforts helped establish a dedicated Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) at RIH. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, the unit was functionally dismantled \u2014 its specialized nurses reassigned, and never replaced. To make matters worse, the CCU was built far from the ER and ICU, a costly and dangerous design flaw that has never been corrected.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey promised us cancer care and cardiac care. We got neither. Everything went to Kelowna,\u201d said Patel. \u201cAnd now they tell us to wait until 2040? That\u2019s 15 more years of preventable deaths.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cath Lab Delayed \u2014 Or Denied?<\/p>\n
A fully functional Cardiac Catheterization Lab \u2014 used to diagnose and treat blocked arteries \u2014 remains the central focus of the ICCHA-WISH campaign. Community donors have pledged funding support, and local cardiologists are ready to begin. But Interior Health now says a cath lab cannot be considered until the CCU is fully operational \u2014 a unit they themselves shut down.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey shut down the cardiac unit, then used that as the reason we can\u2019t have a cath lab,\u201d said Patel. \u201cIt\u2019s the cart before the horse \u2014 and they\u2019re the ones who took the horse away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Milobar echoed that frustration. \u201cWe\u2019ve heard from funders who\u2019ve said they\u2019ll help pay for most of the equipment. But Interior Health\u2019s response is, \u2018Maybe in 2040.\u2019 That\u2019s simply not good enough. It feels like they\u2019re just passing the buck to the next administration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andreas, who has followed the story for years, didn\u2019t hold back either: \u201cWhen medical professionals say this is necessary and keep getting ignored, morale tanks. Recruitment suffers. It\u2019s a downward spiral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Calls for Action<\/p>\n
Backed by physicians, volunteers, and thousands of residents, the ICCHA-WISH Fund is demanding the following immediate steps from the provincial government and Interior Health:<\/p>\n
Restore the ICCHA-WISH Cardiac Care Unit at RIH with trained cardiac nurses by September 30, 2025<\/p>\n
Begin interventional procedures one day per week using the existing Hybrid OR at RIH by January 2026<\/p>\n
Publicly commit to building and funding a permanent Cardiac Catheterization Lab before the next provincial election<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t political for us,\u201d said Patel. \u201cThis is about life and death. We\u2019ve done our part. Now it\u2019s time for the government to do theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Failing System and a Silenced Community<\/p>\n
Frustration among health care workers is mounting. \u201cAt what point did medical experts and patients lose the ability to be experts?\u201d asked Andreas during his interview with Milobar. \u201cIt feels like decisions are being made by administrators and politicians who are ignoring the people who actually know what needs to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
And despite years of lobbying, letter-writing, and media attention, the Province has made no formal commitment. \u201cWhy would any doctor want to stay?\u201d asked Patel. \u201cWe had specialists ready to work here \u2014 they\u2019re leaving because they can\u2019t even do their jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Milobar concluded: \u201cKamloops residents have shown extraordinary generosity to fund medical equipment. But they shouldn\u2019t have to fundraise for basic, life-saving care. This is the province\u2019s way of telling people: if you want proper treatment, start a GoFundMe.\u201d<\/p>\n