Demands for more resources at Vernon Jubilee Hospital are gaining momentum.
Residents and groups are joining together to lobby the provincial government to complete two shelled-in floors in VJH’s new tower for acute care beds.
“I’ve been getting e-mails from people wanting to help or associations wanting to be added to the list we will send in to the government,” said Peter Hill, a resident who is spearheading the community campaign.
“(MLA) Eric Foster has asked to see me.”
VJH is funded for 148 acute care beds but on average, there are 165 patients daily. Patients are placed in hallways and surgeries have been cancelled.
On July 1, about 200 people attended a rally organized by Hill in front of the tower.
“It shows the government that the community is responding with the request for the two floors,” said Hill.
“We are committed to seeing those two floors completed.”
Foster has been urging the Ministry of Health to proceed with the floors and he insists public lobbying will help.
“There was a positive message and a good group of people at the rally. It reinforces community support,” he said.
Foster hopes the ministry will make a decision soon about the two floors.
“It’s not a question of if (the work is done), it’s a question of when,” he said, adding, though, that the government faces considerable financial pressures.
“It’s a question of raising the money and that’s what I’m working on.”
It could cost $10 million to develop each of the floors, and then $10 million each annually to operate the floors.
