A grassroots movement to save the Princeton General Hospital started out with a group on Facebook entitled, "Princeton and Area Issues." Local Nienke Klaver proposed a petition be sent to the government and locals in the group agreed.
Within a day copies of the petition had been set up in businesses throughout the community of Princeton. It reads "As residents of Princeton and Area, we the undersigned are very concerned about the recent closures of our Emergency 'provide quality, appropriate and timely health services to British Columbians' and bring back a fully functioning hospital with a 24 hour emergency room."
The group is hopeful to get a minimum of 2000 signatures before April 23 in order to be sure that the petition gets to the ministry and tabled into the Legislature by Harry Lali, MLA for Fraser-Nicola.
"We hope to get help by appealing to those who can help," said local Ed Staples. "Our government, Interior Health and The College of Surgeons and Physicians, are the ones who can do something."
As of May 1, the Princeton General Hospital emergency department will be closed four times a week, until the issue of having enough physicians to properly operate it can be resolved.
Located along Highway #3, having two major industrial workplaces as well as numerous smaller industries and housing a diminishing population of over 5000, Princeton and Area H residents consider the Princeton General Hospital an absolute necessity.
Recently released statistics show that Princeton's population has decreased by 2 per cent since 2006. It has been reported that residents have stated they have moved or are leaving due to the situation with the hospital.
At noon today, the Grassroots movement set up out in front of Coopers Foods to collect signatures. They will be there for a few hours, if you share their concern—stop by and sign the petition.