A woman whose sister died waiting for emergency treatment says she hopes politicians are listening to doctors' warnings about the state of emergency care in B.C.

Valerie Lewers' sister, Geraldine Jones, went to emergency at Victoria's Royal Jubilee Hospital in October 2002 – suffering chest pains.

Valerie Lewers

"There was no place to put her so she was in the waiting room and she was there just over an hour and she died right in the waiting room," says Lewers.

The 59-year-old Jones died of a heart attack. The coroner's report cited a lack of staff and beds.

• FROM OCT. 11, 2002: Woman dies in emergency waiting room

Geraldine Jones

Her sister says it's time to do something. "It's important that both the federal and provincial government start addressing our needs, " says Lewers…Other people are going to die."

Hospital officials can't say whether wait times are better or worse since Jones died. But just days ago, the Royal Jubilee emergency ward was so busy, officials were warning non-critical patients to stay away.

• FROM JUNE 14, 2004: Fewer hospital beds in B.C., says report

Royal Jubilee Hospital

The B.C. Medical Association issued a report this week, saying people are waiting too long for emergency care – and calling on the government to take action.

"I think this is a great time for Canadians to hold politicians at all levels accountable to try and cut wait times and improve access to health care," says BCMA spokesperson Dr. Marshall Dahl.

• LINK: Complete BCMA report (pdf)

But Premier Gordon Campbell says the doctors are just playing politics with their report.

"There's some information in there that is suspect," says the premier. "It's obviously part of the doctors' bargaining strategy."

But for Valerie Lewers, the facts aren't in dispute. "You shouldn't die waiting," she says, "and people are."