Lali to Health Minister: “Restore Cuts to Princeton Hospital”
May 8, 2008
VICTORIA – Yesterday Harry Lali, NDP MLA for Yale-Lillooet, called on the Minister of Health to restore cuts to the Princeton Hospital and presented a petition on behalf of Princeton residents that protests the cuts to community health services.
“The people of Princeton are very clear about the failure of the Campbell-Liberal
Harry Laligovernment to provide much-needed health services to their community,” said Lali. “The petition containing 662 signatures from residents in the Princeton area calls on the government to keep the Emergency Room open and to reinstate surgical services at the Princeton Hospital.”
During yesterday’s debate in the Legislature on Bill 25 entitled Health Professions (Regulatory Reform) Amendment Act, 2008 Lali said, “On behalf of my community, they've asked me to lobby the Minister. I'm lobbying the Minister to give a little bit of attention to these communities who have been hurt by the Campbell-Liberal government’s agenda of cuts.”
Since 2001 the Campbell government cut services in small, rural communities. “The result has meant fewer acute care beds, loss of surgical procedures, and the closure of the natal care units, including the one in Princeton,” said Lali. “Now patients must travel long distances to places like Penticton, Kelowna’, Chilliwack and Kamloops for care they previously received in local hospitals in the 1990s. It is simply unacceptable.
“No one in Princeton can forget Jessica Obey giving birth to her son on the roadside in her family’s SUV while the child’s father received emergency instructions for delivering the baby over the cell phone,” said Lali. “The family had to rush the pregnant mom 110 kilometres, over mountain passes, to the Penticton hospital all because the Campbell government shut down the natal unit in Princeton.
“Unfortunately, the B.C. Liberal government is again handing down more cuts,” said Lali. “And in Princeton people are facing further cuts to the Emergency Room and surgical services.
“When will this Liberal government stop hurting small communities?” asked Lali from the Legislature. “The Campbell-Liberals’ approach has led to crisis after crisis in small communities. The reality is communities in my constituency look forward to the day the Minister rectifies the situation so we don't have these kinds of crises surfacing every few months.”
“The people of Princeton are very clear about the failure of the Campbell-Liberal
Harry Laligovernment to provide much-needed health services to their community,” said Lali. “The petition containing 662 signatures from residents in the Princeton area calls on the government to keep the Emergency Room open and to reinstate surgical services at the Princeton Hospital.” During yesterday’s debate in the Legislature on Bill 25 entitled Health Professions (Regulatory Reform) Amendment Act, 2008 Lali said, “On behalf of my community, they've asked me to lobby the Minister. I'm lobbying the Minister to give a little bit of attention to these communities who have been hurt by the Campbell-Liberal government’s agenda of cuts.”
Since 2001 the Campbell government cut services in small, rural communities. “The result has meant fewer acute care beds, loss of surgical procedures, and the closure of the natal care units, including the one in Princeton,” said Lali. “Now patients must travel long distances to places like Penticton, Kelowna’, Chilliwack and Kamloops for care they previously received in local hospitals in the 1990s. It is simply unacceptable.
“No one in Princeton can forget Jessica Obey giving birth to her son on the roadside in her family’s SUV while the child’s father received emergency instructions for delivering the baby over the cell phone,” said Lali. “The family had to rush the pregnant mom 110 kilometres, over mountain passes, to the Penticton hospital all because the Campbell government shut down the natal unit in Princeton.
“Unfortunately, the B.C. Liberal government is again handing down more cuts,” said Lali. “And in Princeton people are facing further cuts to the Emergency Room and surgical services.
“When will this Liberal government stop hurting small communities?” asked Lali from the Legislature. “The Campbell-Liberals’ approach has led to crisis after crisis in small communities. The reality is communities in my constituency look forward to the day the Minister rectifies the situation so we don't have these kinds of crises surfacing every few months.”
Fraser-Nicola
Harry Lali served as Minister of Transportation and Highways from February, 1998, to February, 2001.
