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Kelowna, B.C., resident Nanci Macdonald has recovered from what was a serious kidney-related condition, saying she feels grateful for the care she received at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH).
“I was treated extremely well,” Maqcdonald said. “I’m alive today because of the care of KGH staff.”
Macdonald had been in and out of KGH for the past two years.
While she’s full of praise for doctors and nurses, she’s not impressed about being treated in the hallway.
“It was scary at times. Every code white would be right in front of my bed, running down the hallway. I would get that multiple times a day, ” Macdonald said.
“There was no privacy, no medical privacy as far as being able to talk to a doctor about your condition. Everybody heard it.”
Concerns about so-called ‘hallway health care’ have been expressed for years, but the issue was reignited Tuesday during question period in the legislature.
Conservative MLA for Kelowna-Mission Gavin Dew asked why the problem persists while two hospital floors continue sitting empty.
“Thirteen years after Kelowna General Hospital Centennial Tower was opened, why is more than 50 beds’ worth of expansion space on the fifth and sixth floors sitting empty and unfinished behind lock and key,” Dew said.
Minister of Infrastructure Bowinn Ma acknowledged there is more work to do but did not specifically speak to the issues at KGH.
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“We know there is more to do and that’s why Budget 2026 continues to invest in more major hospital projects,” Ma said.
According to Dew, there are up to 50 patients in hallways at KGH during any given time
“What’s shocking is that unofficial hallway beds have become official beds,” Dew said. “Even though these beds have become a permanent fixture, they’re not safe, they’re not equipped to provide proper monitoring, they’re not private, they’re not dignified.”
Dew added that after more than a decade, the public deserves to know if and when those two floors will open.
“The additional space that was left on the fifth and sixth floors when the tower was completed was intended to be surge space as the needs of the hospital grew,” Dew said.
“Our population has grown substantially in the last 13 years.”
Neither Interior Health nor the province provided any timelines on the additional space opening up or why it is sitting unused.
In an email to Global News Wednesday, Ma stated, “We recognize there are on-going concerns with patient space at Kelowna General Hospital.”
The minister added, “Interior Health regularly assesses regional healthcare needs – we will continue to work with them to address infrastructure priorities and make sure they are ready to support any expansion with the required staffing, equipment and other operational needs.”
But many argue that expansion can’t wait much longer.
“Instead of growing into the space that was built to accommodate the needs of a growing population, we’re instead leaving people to languish in hallways,” Dew said.
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