Plans to build a new cancer centre to replace the old Tom Baker facility are underway in Calgary. The new centre will cost approximately $1.2 billion and will be used for research and outpatient and diagnostics treatment, according to the Alberta government. Construction is scheduled to start in 2015.
The centre will be funded in part by the Alberta Cancer Foundation, who will contribute $200 million to the project. It is not yet decided where the rest of the money will come from, especially considering this time of financial cutbacks. Public-private partnerships are one option being explored by the government.
The Alberta Cancer Foundation’s donation comes after it’s recent statement that a new facility can no longer be put off, due to the high demand for more treatment space and reports that claim the city is falling behind on its treatment of the disease. Edmonton’s Cross Cancer Institute, on the other hand, is seen as a leader in this area.
For many years, both doctors and patients have been talking about the need for the new centre, as they have found limited space and split locations to be an ongoing issue.
Moreover, it is expected that the amount of Alberta residents who will be diagnosed with cancer will increase within the next 15 years. At the moment, about 330 people in the province are diagnosed with cancer each week.
Currently, Calgary patients are sent to various facilities in and around the city for procedures such as diagnostics and therapy. The Holy Cross Centre houses consultation services.
The limited space at the Tom Baker Centre has caused delays in testing and treatment, which is something that has caused concern and frustration among the medical community, who say the announcement is long overdue.
The new centre will allow all procedures to be handled under one roof, making it easier for doctors to manage patients more effectively than they are presently able to do so.
Source: Can Health
