B.C. couple moves from Fairmont to Calgary to get access to chemotherapy

Calgary Herald

20 hours ago

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Pragmatically and logistically, the move was relatively stress-free, according to Doran. As a senior retired couple with the kid long moved out and property already held in Calgary, it was much easier to pack up and move.
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But that didn't make it easy. 'I didn't like it much, but I did it because I knew it was coming,' he said. He and his wife had owned the property in Fairmont for more than three decades.
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'We did it because it was the only sensible thing to do,' he said.
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He wanted to voice his story not because of the inconvenience caused to him and his wife, but what a similar scenario would mean for a younger family, with children in school and working parents.
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'It's for the young families that get stuck with this and have to uproot,' he said, or alternatively, are stuck with the drive to Kelowna back-and-forth because they are unable to pick up and move elsewhere.
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A statement from B.C. ministry of health attributes the challenges with cross-border care between B.C. and Alberta to 'internal decision(s) made by Alberta.'
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'A B.C. patient can receive cancer care in Alberta, as long as the patient is referred by BC Cancer and accepted by Alberta,' the statement reads. 'However, the decision to accept a patient transfer from B.C. to Alberta rests entirely within Alberta. The B.C. Ministry of Health does not have authority over the Alberta healthcare system.'
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The province's health minister, Josie Osborne, sent a letter to Alberta counterpart Adriana LaGrange earlier this spring, requesting a meeting to discuss the issue, the statement continued.
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Postmedia has reached out to Alberta's ministry of health to confirm if the letter was received and responded to.
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A spokesperson for Alberta's health ministry attributed the limitations to a local increase in demand for health services.
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'With a growing population, the demand for health services has increased, putting pressure on the system,' the statement reads. 'To ensure that Albertans continue to receive timely care and maintain efficient services, priority is given to them.'
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The province continues to offer emergency and urgent care to anyone in Alberta, regardless of where their health coverage comes from.
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'For elective care, patients from other provinces and territories are encouraged to seek treatment in their home province, where they are generally seen more quickly. In exceptional circumstances — such as urgent oncology needs — care may be provided based on clinical judgment and local capacity,' the statement reads.