Ahead of a campaign rally in Nanaimo this evening, Conservative Party leader John Rustad announced a Conservative government would expand Nanaimo Regional General Hospital to meet increasing healthcare needs for Vancouver Island’s Central and Northern regions.
Rustad emphasized that a catheterization lab is important for improving care for heart disease patients north of the Malahat.
There are only two cath labs on Vancouver Island at this time, both located in Victoria.
Rustad says “people with heart disease in Nanaimo and surrounding areas are forced to travel to Victoria or the mainland to receive lifesaving treatment,” which he says is unacceptable for a region of over 460,000 people.
The Conservatives say the new patient tower at NRGH would increase the number of beds to 600 and be a state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment center. The $2-billion dollar project is expected to up to 10 years to complete.
NDP leader David Eby had previously announced a plan to construct a new patient tower at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital during a town hall meeting late last month.
At a campaign event in Nanaimo this morning, Eby outlined his plan to deliver health care the NDP says will connect every British Columbian to a doctor or nurse practitioner, hire 45,000 new health care workers, and build new hospital projects.
Eby warned that a Conservative Party plan for two-tier health care would drain doctors and nurses from BC’s hospitals.
He says it’s a reckless plan at a time when the province is “starting to turn the corner and connecting hundreds of thousands of British Columbians to a family doctor.”
Eby says the province is winning the global competition for health workers, and building new hospitals across the province and Rustad plans on dismantling BC’s healthcare system.
The BC Green Party held a news conference in Victoria this afternoon to announce a plan to ensure access to healthy, locally produced food.
The Greens would create a universal school food program to ensure every child has access to nutritious food in schools.
Agricultural water reserves would be used to guarantee a secure water supply in times of drought or water scarcity.
The Greens would increase funding for local food processing, storage, and distribution infrastructure.
There would be support Indigenous Food Sovereignty through investing in community-led initiatives to enhance access to traditional foods.
Cowichan Valley Green candidate Cammy Lockwood says farmers and producers need support in many ways because trying to produce food in the face of climate catastrophe cannot be done alone.
Arzeena Hamir, the Green Party candidate for Courtenay-Comox, a farmer and food security activist of over 30 years, says the Green platform on food security includes the supports needed for farmers and provides tangible ways of lowering food costs for everyday people.
Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau says food insecurity is “a significant and growing issue” in BC with nearly 22 percent of people living in food-insecure households in 2023, up from 17 percent in 2022.
