B.C. provides $20M to expand travel, accommodation funding for cancer patients

B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix waits to speak during an announcement for a kidney hemodialysis unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital in Surrey, B.C., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

The British Columbia government is providing $20 million over two years to support travel and lodging for cancer patients in the province.

A statement from the Ministry of Health says the funding for the Canadian Cancer Society builds on a provincial commitment of $10 million last year.

Health Minister Adrian Dix says thousands of patients and caregivers have already benefited from the program's expansion last year.

Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary secretary for rural health, says living with cancer is already a challenge, and worrying about the costs of travelling for treatment makes the experience even more difficult, especially for patients in remote areas.

The statement says nearly 1,400 patients from 249 communities received travel support funding through the cancer society's travel treatment fund in 2023 to 2024, representing a 742 per cent increase from the previous year.

It says 11,722 nights at Canadian Cancer Society lodges were also provided at no cost to patients last year, a departure from the previous nightly cost of $55.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.