Cancer patient’s sister furious over another planned protest outside of Vancouver hospital
Posted September 10, 2021 7:06 am.
Last Updated September 10, 2021 7:23 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A woman whose brother struggled to get to his chemotherapy appointment during last week’s protest outside of Vancouver General Hospital can’t believe the same thing might happen again.
“They’re putting people and workers in danger,” said Dawna Faulds, who says the planned demonstration for Monday is selfish and disrespectful to people like her brother, who is seeking cancer treatment.
“Their thoughts on the vaccine passport and anti-vaccine is not something that directly affects their health in the immediate present. But what they’re doing is affecting people’s critical health in the immediate present. Nothing goes on at the hospital that isn’t important. It’s not doing them any favours,” she explained.
Related video: Patients, healthcare workers react to B.C. vaccine card protests
Despite the outrage prompted by last week’s protests against COVID-19 vaccine passports and other measures outside many hospitals across the country, including in B.C., demonstrators are planning another round for Monday afternoon. Events are set to take place in cities across Canada, though not all will be held outside hospitals like they were last time.
That, however, is not the case in Vancouver, where organizers have told supporters to meet at VGH once again.
Faulds tells NEWS 1130 she felt instant anger when she learned about the upcoming demonstration.
“I’m actually quite upset that it was planned actually for directly outside the hospital this time. It just goes to show the selfishness of some people. They’re not considering anyone but themselves,” she said.
“People were holding up signs, they were hostile, there was a lot of yelling. Madness, absolute madness. I was afraid for my brother because I didn’t want him to miss his chemotherapy appointment. It’s important that with each cycle it’s three days in a row, and a lot of people are waitlisted for that.”
A protest in Vancouver on Sept. 1 in opposition of vaccine passports and mandates saw crowds of people demonstrating in front of VGH and city hall. (Lasia Kretzel, NEWS 1130 photo)
Last Wednesday’s protest outside of VGH not only impeded cancer patients like Fauld’s brother, 51-year-old Ed Prentice, from getting chemotherapy. It also slowed down ambulances trying to reach the emergency room.
Faulds says her brother has a follow up appointment on Friday, adding she’s relieved it’s not happening next week.
She adds anyone protesting B.C.’s new vaccine passport should not be targeting hospitals, saying if they’re not immunized against COVID-19, they could be exposing others to it.
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Vancouver’s mayor has shared the same sentiment, telling NEWS 1130 on Thursday that while people have a right to protest, they just “cannot continue in front of hospitals.”
“Don’t do this. Don’t risk people’s lives for the sake of making a political point,” Kennedy Stewart said Thursday, pleading with demonstrators to change their location.
“Frontline workers — whether they’re police, or nurses, or doctors, or firefighters — they’re under tremendous strain here, and we don’t need this. We are all fatigued 18 months into a pandemic,” Stewart added.
-With files from Tamara Slobogean and Monika Gul
