Twenty questions. Twenty MLAs. Twenty rural B.C. emergency rooms.

And when Question Period in the B.C. legislature ended a half-hour later, one pointed conclusion from the B.C. Conservative Party.

"The last 30 minutes have been a pretty damning indictment of our health care system," Surrey-White Rock Conservative MLA Trevor Halford said, as his party drew attention to the state of rural health care in the province.

According to Conservative figures, MLAs raised and discussed 1,407 rural hospital closures, as almost half of the 44-member Opposition caucus took turns posing related questions.

"We wanted to show just how widespead this issue was in every community around the province," Conservative Party of B.C. Leader Rustad said. "They know this is a problem. Our health care system is in a crisis, especially when it comes to emergencies." 

It was Rustad who posed the first question to B.C.'s Health Minister Josie Osborne, who answered every single question from the Conservatives.

She acknowledged the issues, adding it will take time to address them. But she also pointed to improvements, promised additional steps and questioned whether Conservatives have solutions themselves. 

More to come...