[LabComm] Have you signed the petition yet?

[BC NDP NEWSWIRE]

Have you signed the petition yet?



Last weekend, I heard from hundreds and hundreds of people who are deeply concerned about the emergency room crisis caused by Gordon Campbell's cuts.

My colleague David Chudnovky, MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, and I were collecting signatures to oppose Gordon Campbell's plans to cut the number of ER doctors at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital. People just couldn't believe that Campbell is planning to cut ER services for this busy Vancouver hospital by 23% at the end of this month -- especially after closing one-in-five hospital beds around the province and refusing to listen to doctors who warned that our hospital emergency rooms would become dangerously overcrowded.

<strong>We need as many signatures as possible by next Monday to stop these cuts.  <a href="http://stopercuts.bc.ndp.ca/">You can download and sign the petition here.</a></strong>

Since then, Carole James and the NDP team have learned much more about how Campbell's bed cuts have endangered patient care all around the province:
<ul>
<li>Doctors in Vernon are warning that Vernon Jubilee Hospital has been operating dangerously over its safe capacity. Since 2002, the Liberals have cut 24% of hospital beds in this region, and in recent months doctors have been telling the Campbell Liberals "more days than not we have gridlock", "patient care is at risk" and "sick people are often sicker by the time we get to them." But the Liberals must not be listening -- they've offered no relief, and they won't even acknowledge the problem. </li>
<li>In the Kootenays, where the Campbell Liberals cut an astonishing 42% of hospital beds, the Nelson health watch committee of the regional district has warned that the situation has become dangerous. Response from the Liberals? Nothing. </li>
<li>On Tuesday, Kelowna General Hospital declared a "code purple" -- that means the hospital is absolutely full and can't take any more patients. Unfortunately, this is not a rare event. According to the hospital administrator, Kelowna General has been far over maximum capacity every day for the last month. Since 2002, the Campbell Liberals have closed beds in Vernon, Osoyoos, Summerland, Princeton and Penticton. </li></ul>
And earlier this week, a study released by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health revealed that BC emergency rooms are the most crowded in the country. By a very long shot.

The study found that 94% of ER directors in BC found overcrowding in their emergency departments at least once a week -- compared to a national average of 35%!

<strong>And despite all this, Gordon Campbell thinks it's a good idea to cut the number of ER doctors at Mount Saint Joseph Hospital by 23%!</strong>

No wonder more than a thousand people signed our petition on the weekend alone.

It's very important that we send Gordon Campbell a message, loud and clear, that he's got put an end to the growing ER crisis. That starts with canceling the cuts at Mount Saint Joseph before they take effect in just three weeks.

We need to table our petition before the end of this Legislative session in just a few days, and that doesn't leave us a lot of time. 

<strong>If you haven't already signed the petition, <a href="http://stopercuts.bc.ndp.ca/">please click here to download it</a>. </strong>

And if you'd like to come out and sign it in person, David Chudnovsky and I -- joined by Vancouver-Hastings MLA Shane Simpson -- will be collecting signatures at these locations on the weekend:

<strong>Saturday, May 13: </strong>
<ul>
<li>David Chudnovsky will be at Victoria and 41st Avenue from 11:00 to 1:00.</li>
<li>Shane Simpson will be in front of the T and T Supermarket at East 1st Avenue and Renfrew Street from 2:00 to 4:00.</li>
<li>And I'll be at the Chinese Cultural Centre at 50 East Pender Street from 10:00 to 2:00.</li></ul>
Over a thousand people have already signed -- I hope you will too. Every name we collect helps tell Gordon Campbell "enough is enough".

Sincerely,

<strong>Jenny Kwan<br />MLA, Vancouver-Mount Pleasant</strong>

To unsubscribe or change your settings go to: http://www.e-2ve6y.signup2.bc.ndp.ca/
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