The budget presented Tuesday by the provincial government did not include direct mention of either a cath lab or new patient tower at NRGH, despite both being significant campaign promises by the BC NDP. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

not mentioned

‘Hugely disappointed:’ Nanaimo hospital cath lab, patient tower absent in B.C. budget

Mar 5, 2025 | 12:45 PM

NANAIMO — The province’s spending priorities for the year ahead apparently do not include a pair of promised significant local projects.

Neither a catheterization lab for cardiac care, nor a new patient tower at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH) were line items in the document presented by finance minister Brenda Bailey on Tuesday, March 4, despite being key campaign promises in the 2024 provincial election.

It’s something that caught the eye of Donna Hais, Chair of the Fair Care Alliance, which has loudly and effectively campaigned for better allocation of healthcare resources for residents of central Vancouver Island.

“I think understandably, Fair Care is hugely disappointed that promises made during the election campaign were not addressed in any form or fashion in the first budget put out by this government. I think that shows short-sightedness moving forward.”

Tuesday’s budget set aside $4.2 billion over the next three years to increase capacity in the healthcare system, along with an additional $15.5 billion for capital investments in hospitals and other facilities.

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The patient tower at NRGH was promised by Premier David Eby during a campaign stop in Nanaimo last September.

Furthermore, on Oct. 16 during a campaign stop in Nanaimo, Eby clearly pledged a business case to advance the patient tower was imminent.

“We’ll be beginning the planning immediately with the doctors and nurses of the hospital which is called the business plan process to plan out all of the services, how that will all integrate together and make sure that it works for the people of Nanaimo. I can’t wait to get started on it, I know it’s a priority for the people who live here,” Eby said at the time, who noted a separate business case would be done for the NRGH cath lab.

Premier David Eby, flanked by since-elected MLA’s George Anderson and Sheila Malcolmson, promised immediate progress on a patient tower and cath lab in Nanaimo, if elected in October. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Estimates for the patient tower project suggest it could cost upwards of $2 billion, and would take around a decade to build.

A catheterization lab would be a much more short-term goal, and address a complete lack of resources available for those suffering from cardiac issues on the mid-Island.

Fair Care Alliance held a large rally nearly two weeks prior to Eby’s announcement, demanding a more equitable split of healthcare resources for residents both north and south of the Malahat.

“I do know the government will stand up and say you know you’re getting a cancer centre, and we’ve committed to the long term care beds, all of which are positive, but we have spent decades being ignored in terms of health care infrastructure and there should have been some address of the tower and the cath lab in this budget,” Hais told NanaimoNewsNOW.

She added the central and north Island is the largest population centre in the country without access to the proper standard of care when it comes to heart health.

Currently, patients needing advanced cardiac care must be treated in Victoria or Vancouver.

Hais said Fair Care will ramp up their efforts immediately, and look to sit down with health minister Josie Osborne, finance minister Bailey and infrastructure minister Bowinn Ma.

“Two out of three of those ministers come from Nanaimo (Bailey) and central Vancouver Island (Osborne), they were raised here, so they understand our lack of access to health care. You’re [also] going to see us move into discussion around policy that has to do with the federal government’s promise of $200 billion a few years ago to help ease the pain that health care is going through.”

Alliance chair Donna Hais, speaking at a rally in September 2024, said the region is understaffed of specialists compared to hospitals in the Victoria region. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Hais also indicated more discussions with municipalities and Regional Districts will occur, ahead of a presentation to the Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities event in April.

Work has begun on the B.C. Cancer Centre in Nanaimo, with some site preparation work underway in late February, and a projected opening of 2028.

The upcoming fiscal year’s projected B.C. government deficit is $10.9 billion.

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