A coalition to save the Seven Oaks Hospital emergency room is collecting names on a petition to give to Manitoba’s premier, along with some tough words.
“Do the right thing for a change,” said Helen Zacharkiw, a member of the Save Seven Oaks ER Coalition.
The group, which is made up of people living in the neighbourhood, as well as health care workers, collected more than 7,500 signatures on a petition.
They presented it to NDP leader Wab Kinew Tuesday with hopes they can stop the Seven Oaks Hospital emergency department from transitioning to an urgent care clinic in September.
Kinew said he’ll deliver the petition to the premier’s office on behalf of the coalition.
The ER closure comes as part of a plan from the Pallister government to overhaul the health-care system according to recommendations laid out by consultant Dr. David Peachey.
Zacharkiw said she’s concerned because the area is growing and needs better access to emergency care.
“Our northwest and northeast quadrant has a lot of people, just thousands. There's 450 homes being built in the quadrant as we speak. There are schools,” she said. “Where are these people going to go for health care?"
The Concordia Hospital ER transitioned to an urgent care centre at the beginning of June. The Victoria Hospital ER closed to become an urgent care facility in 2017.
