Derek Lesser went into a meeting Wednesday hopeful for good news.
He is one of the creators of the Facebook group Western Nova Scotia Cancer Support Network, a grassroots online movement to rally support for a radiation therapy unit at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital.
The meeting at the hospital was attended by other local committee members and Nova Scotia Health Minister Randy Delorey and Dr. Drew Bethune,
the medical director of Nova Scotia Cancer Care.
Lesser tells Acadia News he was disappointed when they were first told that the unit would not be located in Yarmouth.
“I think everyone in the room was expected it was going to be black or white, a yes or a no. We weren’t really expecting that they were looking at the bigger picture and came up with a third option.”
He says that third option include psychosocial support for patients and possibly some type of financial help for travel and accommodation costs.
Also included are better coordination of appointments, to reduce travel time and financial burden, improved use of telemedicine and utilizing technological advances in radiotherapy which would translate into fewer appointments.
Lesser says it was explained that the demographics of the region (from Yarmouth, Shelburne and Digby counties and parts of Queens and Annapolis Counties), would not support the $20 million dollar estimated cost.
“The radiation unit itself, i didn’t realize, would not have helped as many people as I thought it would. I thought if you had cancer and you needed radiation and it was in Yarmouth then you’d get it. But it doesn’t quite work that way. There’s different types of radiation you can get. So there would still be large population of cancer patients needing radiation that would have to go to Halifax.”
He says it was not a decision of government but of a committee of the Nova Scotia Health Authority that made the decision in a 12-2 vote to recommend a series of enhancements of enhancements.
Those were contained in a final report to Minister Delorey.
Argyle-Barrington PC MLA Chris d’Entremont, a former health minister says he’s disappointed.
“Ultimately we have to understand what the decision entails. I know there’s some good and bad in this one but I’m disappointed for people that have to travel back and forth to Halifax on a regular basis for radiation therapy. I thought we had a really good case to get that service here in Yarmouth.
UPDATE: Health Minister Randy Delorey has declined our request for an interview, preferring we speak with Dr. Bethune.
An interview with Dr. Bethune is being arranged.
(Yarmouth Regional Hospital-Acadia News photo)
Reported by Gary Nickerson
