(L-R) Mid-Island NDP MLA's Stephanie Higginson, Sheila Malcolmson and George Anderson at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Friday, Aug. 22 (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

campaign promises

Promised new patient tower & cardiac care addressed by Nanaimo MLA’s

Aug 22, 2025 | 2:39 PM

NANAIMO — Nearly a year after B.C.’s premier made significant healthcare promises for Nanaimo on the campaign trail, local MLAs maintain those pledges are still in the government’s plans.

Nanaimo-Gabriola Island MLA Sheila Malcolmson was asked a series of questions regarding promises for a new Nanaimo hospital patient tower and cardiac catheterization lab, both of which were key policy pledges by David Eby during pre-election stops in Nanaimo.

While attending a media tour of Nanaimo hospital’s new high acuity unit on Friday, Aug. 22, Malcolmson was pressed about the status of the promised new patient tower.

“The spending that the BC NDP government has done since 2017 is almost nine times the amount that was committed over the same time period by the previous government. This is a moment to recognize we have built an intensive care unit, state of the art, high acuity unit, state of the art. We are building a cancer center right now, badly needed, long called for.”

Nanaimo hospital’s aging patient tower. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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In addition to multiple promises that an elected NDP government would build a patient tower, involving roughly a decade of planning, design work and construction, Premier Eby went a step further during an Oct. 16, 2024, Nanaimo campaign stop, saying a business plan process for the patient tower would begin immediately.

No updates from the B.C. government have been provided since.

Malcolmson said hard work is happening behind the scenes to advance the patient tower.

“As soon as we’ve got news about the steps that are in place, you’re going to hear it,” Malcolmson said in response to a question regarding the status of the patient tower business case.

While electioneering in Nanaimo, Premier Eby also promised a cardiac catheterization lab.

Neither the patient tower nor the cardiac cath lab was mentioned in this year’s budget, as mounting financial challenges inflict the government, which is dealing with an estimated deficit this fiscal year of $10.9 billion.

Nanaimo-Lantzville MLA George Anderson said he and his two local MLA colleagues have met with the ministers responsible for infrastructure and health, Bowinn Ma and Josie Osborne, respectively.

“…to continue to advocate for people, the same way that Ms. Malcolmson advocated for people to get this building. This is a government that is focused on ensuring better healthcare outcomes happen for British Columbians,” Anderson said.

Nanaimo hospital’s 62-year-old, 346-bed patient tower is the centrepiece of the hospital when it opened in 1963.

Premier Eby’s promises of a new Nanaimo hospital patient tower and catheterization lab followed shortly after a highly attended community forum hosted by advocacy organization Fair Care Alliance.‘

Fair Care Alliance continues pushing to even disparities in specialist healthcare services between the Victoria area and north of the Malahat. (Fair Care Alliance)

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