Hundreds of frustrated nurses march through downtown Vancouver

Hundreds of nurses march through downtown Vancouver (Amir Ali/Daily Hive)

Hundreds of nurses took to the streets in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday afternoon, raising their voices over conditions in BC hospitals.

The demonstration was in response to what the BC Nurses Union calls an ongoing healthcare crisis in the province.

Vancouver police escorted nurses as they marched from the Vancouver Convention Centre West Building to Burrard Street and closed the intersection at Burrard and Georgia streets. The nurses then marched back towards the Vancouver Convention Centre.

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Amir Ali/Daily Hive

Key concerns raised by the BC Nurses Union include safe staffing of currently employed nurses and a lack of staff in general. Nurses want better security at hospitals and hiring more staff to take on non-nursing duties.

Strength in numbers today in downtown #Vancouver as hundreds of frustrated #BCNurses were marching and chanting. pic.twitter.com/08s4vBR5ow

— Amir Ali ⌨️☕️ (@AmirsDoingItAll) October 5, 2022

In a statement, BC Nurses Union President Aman Grewal said that nurses are morally distressed with the current state of healthcare in BC.

Amir Ali/Daily Hive

As the nurses marched, they received a wealth of support from onlookers and drivers honking their horns.

Traffic was blocked off at certain points in downtown #Vancouver. @BCNursesUnion pic.twitter.com/Q7phZuU3AZ

— Amir Ali ⌨️☕️ (@AmirsDoingItAll) October 5, 2022

In recent weeks, BC Health Minister Adrian Dix has come under growing scrutiny for what the union says is a lack of action on the critical issues facing healthcare in the province. While the BC Nurses Union supports a recently announced plan to address some of the issues, the union claims enough isn’t being done in the short term.

Amir Ali/Daily Hive

“The system is under extraordinary pressure, and it is patients, nurses and healthcare workers who are paying the price,” added Grewal.