Dear Source:
Our community needs the CK Cancer Institute. However, the Cancer Center needs money. What good is a cancer center if it has one oncologist, one radiologist and one lab technician? The radiation machine, which is called a linear accelerator, is a multi-million dollar machine? Who is going to operate it? What is going to happen when the one oncologist or one technician goes on vacation, or has the flu?
The Cancer Center is now a reality. We can see it. It is a public facility, and it will need money, a LOT of money to operate. If the government does not "find" the money to complete it, and the money to hire competent professionals, and enough competent professionals, we are not going to be "world class." In that event, we are not even going to meet the minimum "standard of care" required to treat cancer patients. We can build a place, but if we do not have the funds to operate it in the way that it MUST be operated, what is the point?
The Cancer Center is a vitally needed resource. Yes there are going to be insured patients who can help float the institute. However, how is our community going to cover the many patients who have no insurance? Medicaid does not come close to covering the costs? There are so many questions that need to be answered, and answered NOW.
There is no turning back on the Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute. Ambassador and Mrs. Kimelman put their money up years ago. Our community is already behind the times, and now thanks to Eugene Woods and Rodney Miller, we are embarking on a project that should have been completed years ago.
Governor Turnbull MUST find the money. Senators and community members, you must not allow the Cancer Center to fail before it even gets a chance to open.
Mr. Miller has a plan and he is the person to whom we must listen. The Cancer Center cannot be run on a shoestring budget. There is no room for cuts with the Cancer Center. A government should not be operating a specialized health faculty like a cancer center, especially our government. However, that is our lot. Mr. Rodney Miller knows what he is doing, and unless there is someone else in our community who knows better, the governor and senators better listen very carefully to what he has to say.
There are those of us in the community who are cancer survivors. I spent six months commuting to the States, every 15 days, for chemotherapy. I do not wish that chemo commute on anybody. We survivors are watching. We know what world class care is because many of us underwent "world class" care in the States. Be forewarned that we will be outspoken if the Cancer Center is not adequately funded.

Julie German Evert
St. Thomas

Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to [email protected].