The Iccha-Wish Fund has reinstated and rescheduled its gala fundraising event after seeing some progress with Interior Health, according to founder Al Patel.

The annual Red Carpet Gala event had been cancelled earlier this fall in protest and as a call to action to improve cardiac care in the Kamloops region.

In a news release, Patel said Iccha-Wish leadership was prompted to bring the gala back following recent talks with the health authority and Cardiac Services BC.

Patel said they would shift from protest to renewed advocacy and community mobilization, with the gala rescheduled for Friday, April 24, at the Colombo Lodge.

“It is now Premier David Eby and Health Minister Josie Osborne’s turn to show their commitment,” Patel said.

The group is calling for the Iccha-Wish Cardiac Care Unit at Royal Inland Hospital to be reopened by January 2026. The unit hasn’t been fully functional since the pandemic, suffering a shortage of specialized cardiac nurses.

The Iccha-Wish Fund has said this continued closure has put thousands of residents at risk.

In a statement, the fundraising group mentioned comments made by new Interior Health CEO Sylvia Weir, who affirmed the urgent need to restore and expand cardiac services at RIH and called it a priority.

The statement said Weir also discussed a possible future expansion and move of the Cardiac Care Unit so it can be closer to the Intensive Care Unit.

In addition, the fundraising group said RIH cardiologists have submitted a detailed equipment list required to establish a new procedure room.

“This is a bold step by Interior Health and I hope we see progress from the current limbo we are in,” Patel said.

“We now need the government, Interior Health and Cardiac Service BC to approve the equipment required for cardiac advancement at RIH.”

The Iccha-Wish Fund said along with the reopening of the cardiac care unit, it wants to see the expedited relocation near the ICU without service interruption or unit name change.

The fundraising group said they also want cardiologists to be provided with access to new operating rooms and radiology hybrid labs while the procedure room is being developed.

They want to see a “roadmap” for establishing a catheterization lab before the next provincial election.

“We cannot continue filling funding gaps indefinitely,” Patel said. “But we will proudly host the 19th Anniversary Iccha-Wish Red Carpet Gala on April 24, 2026.”

Original source: ca