A new advocacy campaign launched Wednesday by the Thompson Regional Hospital District wants to let the provincial government know that Cancer Won’t Wait.

Board Chair Mike O’Reilly says the campaign is calling on the provincial government to finally deliver on its promise to build Kamloops Cancer Centre.

“It’s been 30 years that Kamloops has been waiting for a cancer centre,” O’Reilly said, referencing promises made by current and previous governments.

“We’re taking a different approach rather than just saying ‘hey, we want a cancer centre here, we’re looking for all the 150,000 residents of the TNRD to help us get this cancer centre open in Kamloops.”

Speaking on the NL Noon Report, O’Reilly says about 40 per cent of patients who get radiation treatment in Kelowna are from the Thompson-Cariboo-Shuswap area.

“We’re wanting people to upload their stories about having to travel to Kelowna to get cancer care, and that is very difficult for people,” he said. “Again, this is going back over 30 years, but also we want people to tell their success stories about getting cancer treatment and how much easier it would be to get it in Kamloops.”

“The demand is there, and we need cancer care in Kamloops.”

“As someone who lives in the region and has had four separate cancer diagnoses, I have first-hand experience waiting for and wanting cancer care to be closer to home,” Clearwater mayor Merlin Blackwell said, in a news release.

“I am encouraged by the launch of this campaign because Cancer Won’t Wait for our health system to play catch up and address these problems. We know getting shovels in the ground quickly in Kamloops will help patients who need it the most.”

B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix says the business case for Kamloops Cancer Centre has been completed, and that he would be sharing those details “soon.”

In May of last year, Dix said the facility by Royal Inland Hospital is expected to be open by 2027.

O’Reilly previously told Radio NL that business case will help reveal whether or not the facility will open as scheduled, or if it will be delayed as suggested by Kamloops MLA Peter Milobar, who accused the province of “playing games.”

The advocacy campaign which is being run by consulting firm Santis Health will cost a maximum of $75,000, according to the TNRD.

To learn more about the Cancer Won’t Wait campaign, go here.