'We're not going anywhere and we'll hold you accountable': Hundreds rally for better health care in Surrey

Dr. Randeep Gill organized a rally Saturday afternoon aiming to send a message to the B.C. government.

"Wake up, pay attention, we're not going anywhere and we'll hold you accountable," said Gill, speaking on a stage set up at Surrey Civic Plaza.

With hundreds in attendance, health-care workers and local leaders including Mayor Brenda Locke spoke on the need for drastic improvements to health-care services in the Fraser region.

"We're bursting at the seams," said Gill, a physician at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH). "We're absolutely getting crushed when it comes to the numbers."

"Surrey, and the south Fraser for that matter, has been severely short-changed when it comes to infrastructure funding," said Locke.

One Surrey family doctor in attendance told CTV News she's seen a steady decline in quality care and is even more concerned for the future.

"I have an influx of patients every day, new patients that are telling me they can't find GPs, they can't find family doctors," said Dr. Nadia Kari. "I'm scared to see how it's going to look in the next couple decades."

Despite being one of Canada's busiest hospitals, SMH doesn't currently have a level-one trauma centre.

On Friday, Health Minister Adrian Dix held a news conference at SMH providing an update on the province's 30-point measures to improve health services in the Fraser region.

Dix said the plan includes more staffing, more beds, and improved cardiac, renal and maternity services.

"That's a step in the right direction," said Gill in response to Dix's comments. "But that doesn't solve the overall problem for us."

Gill says the problem stems from systemic underfunding of the region compared to similarly populated areas such as Vancouver.

"Equity. We are decades behind on what our infrastructure should be looking like,” he said.

Dix says he understands the health-care workers' frustration as the City of Surrey and the province continue to see soaring demand for patient care.

“We have, at Surrey Memorial Hospital, over base-bed capacity every single day of this summer – every single day -- and now we’re entering the challenge of respiratory illness season. So I’m with them,” Dix said.

The province has promised significant upgrades to be delivered to Surrey over the next 18 months. Gill says he and his supporters will continue to speak out until significant change is made.