B.C.鈥檚 Health minister Adrian Dix is defending the recent use of Peace Arch Hospital for a film shoot.

After Paramount crews and equipment were spotted filming a production on Dec. 15 at the hospital, local MLAs slammed the fact the White Rock hospital was being used to film a show instead of being used for health care.

At a Dec. 20 press conference in Richmond, Dix re-iterated what Fraser Health said in a previous emailed statement, emphasizing the area of the hospital used for filming was an 鈥渦nused area of the hospital.鈥�

鈥淚 think it was a single room within the hospital that was used and essentially, that鈥檚 just accommodating a request from an industry that employs a lot of people and does a good job in employing people in our province. If it was needed for care, it would never be provided. It will never be provided. That鈥檚 not what happens in the health-care system.鈥�

Dix said he would ask the health authority to look into how often the province鈥檚 health facilities are used for filming.

鈥淥f course, I鈥檝e asked them to take a look at it because people have raised the issue with me to take a look at how often it happens. I think it happens relatively rarely and only in space that is surplus to patient care. Frequently, other public facilities get used.鈥�

After the Dec. 14-15 film shoot, Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford said health care, not show business, should be the priority.

鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating. The only crews that should be going into PAH are construction crews to upgrade some of the things that are needed鈥� the ICU (intensive care unit) is inadequate for the needs of White Rock right now.鈥�

Halford noted the hospital has 鈥渁mazing staff and frontline workers,鈥� and said he鈥檚 proud of the province鈥檚 film sector, which he said has done a lot of great work in White Rock.

鈥淏ut to utilize a hospital at this time when we鈥檙e in the crisis we鈥檙e in鈥� we鈥檙e sending out patients at Surrey Memorial to motels, we鈥檝e got portables now for pediatrics at Surrey Memorial鈥� our health system is not in great shape. It鈥檚 never been worse,鈥� he said.

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鈥淭he fact is we鈥檝e got movie crews blocking off substantial areas of the hospital at a time where we鈥檝e got waits of over 12 hours for the emergency ward. It鈥檚 completely unacceptable.鈥�

His colleague, Surrey South MLA Elenore Sturko, who is also the shadow minister for mental health, addiction, recovery and education, echoed his frustration on X.

鈦�.鈦� is allowing a floor of Peace Arch Hospital to be used as a film set. Why not use this space to care for patients who are being sent to motels, or in hallways? Staff who are now going to the motel could have gone to PAH. Hospitals are for healthcare.

鈥� Elenore Sturko (@elenoresturko)

鈥淗ospitals are meant for health care,鈥� she said in a video post.

Sturko also tweeted that 鈥淚t鈥檚 sickening to know people at Surrey Memorial Hospital are being treated in hallways and motels while a floor of nearby Peace Arch Hospital is being used to make movies.鈥�

It鈥檚 sickening to know people at Surrey Memorial Hospital are being treated in hallways and motels while a floor of nearby Peace Arch Hospital is being used to make movies.

鈥� Elenore Sturko (@elenoresturko)

In an emailed statement, Fraser Health said the decision to allow filming was made 鈥渨ith careful consideration for patient care, operational needs and the overall benefit to our health care services.鈥�

The health authority said no hospital services were impacted and full hospital operations maintained throughout the filming, which it said took place in a 鈥渧ery small closed, non-active unit currently being prepared for upcoming renovations.鈥�

The statement noted that filming in unused spaces at Fraser Health sites 鈥済enerates revenue to directly support patient care and improve infrastructure.鈥�

鈥淥ccasionally these out-of-service areas are used for filming as long as no patients are disturbed and hospital services are not impacted,鈥� it said.

Halford said he has nothing against movies or TV series being filmed on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

But when 鈥淲e鈥檝e got diversions from the maternity, we鈥檝e got long waits in the emergency rooms, we鈥檝e got a mental health facility at Peace Arch Hospital that they can鈥檛 staff right now鈥� Fraser Health needs to get its priorities straight.鈥�