The Editor,
It comes as no surprise that the emergency department physicians and nurses at Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) recently decided to enlist the adjacent Tim Hortons. In spite of the expertise and resourcefulness of RCH doctors, nurses and administrators, the service demands on this facility have exceeded capacity for years.
Many people do not realize that RCH is not just New Westminster's hospital - 85% of the patients cared for at RCH come from outside of New Westminster. In fact, patients are referred to RCH from every community east of Boundary Road and out through the Fraser Valley and to the U.S. border (including Tri-Cities, Surrey and Abbotsford).
RCH is the tertiary referral hospital (highest level of care) for Fraser Health for more than 1.6 million residents - one-third of B.C.'s population. RCH is also the only Level 3 trauma centre, the only open-heart surgery centre and cardiac interventional centre (angioplasties), the only neurosurgery centre (head trauma) and second largest Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit in the province.
More than 18 months have passed since Fraser Health delivered a concept plan to the Ministry of Health Services that would see a significant expansion and redevelopment of Royal Columbian Hospital within the next five to seven years. The RCH Foundation has agreed to partner in fundraising for this expansion that will go a long way to alleviate many of the growing pressures that are felt, not only at RCH, but at all of the other 11 community acute care hospitals in Fraser Health whose patients are transferred daily to RCH for speciality services.
My question is: When will the Ministry of Health approve Fraser Health's concept plan and its request for funding to begin the first stage of comprehensive clinical planning for the expansion of Royal Columbian? RCH Foundation donors, many of whom are grateful patients, are ready to support Fraser Health's plan for significant change at RCH. We need the new Premier and her team to demonstrate their commitment to providing the best in health care to patients and their families.
Adrienne Bakker, President and CEO, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
