East Kootenay residents call for improvements to health care

Residents in B.C.'s East Kootenaywant to see improvements to health care this election, with many forcedto travel to get the care they need.

The southeastern region, like most more rural areas of the province, is short on family doctors and specialized medical care, alike. Access to cancer care is especially thin, with the nearest treatment centre located hundreds of kilometres away.

According to B.C.'s Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), 263 East Kootenay residentshad to travel to Kelowna or beyond to receive radiation treatment last year.

That may soon be the case for CranbrookmotherCheyenne Hebert and her 15-year-old daughterSierra, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in June after suffering a seizure.

The two have been in a difficult limbo since then while they wait to hear if the tumour is life-threatening or not. In the meantime, Sierra said she continues to suffer several seizures a week.

"I don't remember anything from my seizures, but it must scare my family a lot," she said.

Hebert said the wait is taking a toll in other ways, too.

"It is hard, super hard. Especially with Sierra her mental health is declining. You know, she can't go to school."

Hebert said Sierra wasreferred to the B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver after her first seizure, but that they only heard from the centre'sepilepsy clinic this week.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for the B.C. Children's Hospital said theycannot speak to the specifics ofindividual patients due to confidentiality reasons.

However, they added that leadership is "aware of this patient, and our providers are following up with the family directly to support them on their care journey.We sincerely apologize for any distress caused to this patient and their family while awaiting an appointment at our hospital."

Hundreds travelling for care, waiting for a family doctor

While they don't have the full prognosis yet, Herbert said they will have to travel to Vancouver for whatever care Sierra needs.

The same is true for many other Kootenay residents, too. Thorough medical care simply isn't always availableclose to home.

CBC News asked for inputon the issue from residents in the East Kootenayand received more than 37 emailsin response.Many came from people who have to travel for medical care and appointments, while others said they are on a long wait-list for a family doctor.

Ajoint toolkit released this year by B.C. Family Doctors and the B.C. College of Family Physiciansestimates700,000 British Columbians are still without a family doctor.

According to the PHSA, 529 patients from the Kootenayswere seen at B.C. Cancer for radiation therapy in 2023-24, 263of whom were from the East Kootenay. Taken together, the more than 500 patientsreceived6,940 radiation treatments at an average of about 13appointments per patient.

Mayor calls for localized cancer treatment

David Wilks, the mayor ofSparwoodand chair of the Kootenay East Regional Hospital District, said he hopes whoever is voted in as MLA on Oct. 19 will work with him to find solutions.

"For whatever reason, the provincial government does not seem to see that the southeast corner of the province is as important as other portions of B.C.," he said. "I would like to hope that that changes, especially when it comes to oncology."

Wilks has long been advocating for radiation therapy at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook.

The provincialgovernment is currently planning to build a new renal and oncology centre at the hospital, and Wilkssaid hewants to see radiation included in that plan.

Party promises for health care

CBC News reached out to candidates in the Kootenay-Rockies riding (formerly Kootenay-East) to ask what action they would take if elected. The riding covers the southeastern part of the province, including Cranbrook, Fernie, Sparwood and Elkford.

There are four Kootenay-Rockies candidates vying for a seat in the legislature. Incumbent Tom Shpyitka, formerly with B.C. United, is now running as an Independent, Kerri Wall is the B.C. Greens candidate, Sam Atwal is with the B.C. NDP and Pete Davis is running for the B.C. Conservatives.

The only candidates to respond to CBC's request wereWall and Atwal.

"In our corner of B.C., we are sadly used to being low on the list for the decision-makers on the coast, this is not okay," Wall saidin an email. She is calling for Cranbrook to have the same level of cancer care as is available in Kelowna or Vancouver.

She also pointed tothe B.C. Greens' provincial platform, which says the party wouldestablish community health-care centres around B.C., replacing the current urgent and primary care ones. Theparty has further said itwants to entice more nurses into the system by increasing funding though by how much isn't clear.

The New Democrats, meanwhile, have pledged to expand travel assistance for patients like Sierra. The promise would provide up-front money to cover vehicle mileage if flights aren't available and extend employment protections such as paid medical leave to 27 weeks.

In an email, Atwalnoted his party's plans for thenew Cranbrookrenal and oncology unit.

"We know people in rural areas face unique challenges when it comes to health-care, especially if they need to see a specialist far from home," hesaid, adding that the NDPare connecting around 4,000 people to a family doctor every week.

The B.C. Conservatives have promised to reduce administrative costs in health care. The party said it wants to allow for both public and private careoptions and wants patients, like those in Sierra's circumstances, to be able to access care outside of B.C.