Penticton residents ramp up demands for hospital upgrade

Dozens of people gathered in downtown Penticton on Wednesday, demanding that the province commit to upgrading their aging regional hospital.

Doctors say the hospital is overcrowdedand have called for a $300 million ambulatory care centre for the 62-year-old building.

Penticton Coun. Wes Hopkin says while the Interior Health Authority has made Penticton's hospital upgrades a priority, the province keeps passing the hospital over.

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent upgrading hospitals in neighbouring Kamloops, Kelowna and Vernon, but Penticton Regional Hospital has only had minor improvements.