A petition for 24/7 emergency care continues to be handed out around Princeton.
It’s too early to tell how many people have signed because they’ve only been out for two days, said the petition’s organizer Nienke Klaver.
She hopes around 2,000 people will add their signature.
Kalver and helpers will be spreading the petition to other communities around Princeton, including Coalmont, Tulameen, Allison Lake and Missezula.
Once Klaver has enough signatures, she will be giving the petition to Princeton town council, the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the Minister of Health and others.
“I want to at least bring awareness to the politicians that this is not a good situation for Princeton, especially with the industry around us and a major highway going through town,” Klaver said.
“It’s a dangerous situation. It’s always a matter of money, and we’re going to try to push for more money.”
The petition asks the Minister of Health to bring back a fully functioning hospital with a 24/7 emergency room.
Last week Interior Health announced Princeton Hospital’s emergency department would close from midnight to 8 a.m. Monday to Thursday starting May 1.
The closures are expected to last around a year.
