The Kinsmen Foundation donated $1 million to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan on Tuesday morning to help women access new health care equipment.
The $1 million will go to a “state of the art” breast cancer screening vehicle, replacing the current bus.
“Today we are thrilled to announce a gift to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan for a new, state of the art breast cancer screening vehicle in the amount of $1 million,” Kinsmen Foundation chair Raelynn Nicholson announced at a media conference Tuesday.
The application was approved last June and the promise was finally delivered by the Kinsmen Foundation on Tuesday.
According to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, the current screening bus isn’t as accessible as it needs to be.
“It could be a little bit wider, it’s hard to get through, it’s narrow inside, there’s no heat in the floors, they have to plug in heaters,” said Cancer Foundation CEO Nora Yeates.
She added only two of the four AC units are operable and there are leaks in the bus windows.
“This bus was fabulous 23 years ago but it’s just not anymore.”
Yeates said the new vehicle could be a bus, truck and trailer, or an RV. The foundation has already begun noting the new vehicle’s requirements and will look at what types have been successful in other provinces to help make its decision.
The foundation said the new vehicle will help meet the demand of 8,000 to 9,000 patients per year.
“Many times there are more communities that wish they could have the bus,” Yeates said. “There are 40 communities that are chosen, and it goes on a cycle even and odd years, and just based on the capacity and what they are able to do with the program, those are the communities they choose.”
She said the current bus has served more than 250,000 women in its lifetime.
There is only one bus for all of Saskatchewan.
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