Editor:
Re: Case of cruel to be kind, Murphy's Law, Jan. 30
Ted Murphy's column is historical, factual and complimentary, not just to myself but to all those who fought so hard to build a hospital that had the 25 surgical beds, only to lose them to a provincial centralization policy that fails to serve the people of Delta and the Tsawwassen First Nation.
We are the only hospital in B.C. that does not have surgical beds, not even the four that the doctors requested to start with.
We don't really have a hospital unless we have those beds. This point was made by Dr. Kanee back in 1968 when he said: "Unless we have surgical beds and an intensive care unit we don't have a hospital, only an oversized medical clinic."
We are going to have all the most modern diagnostic equipment and facilities, but we still can't call ourselves a "hospital" until we have the 25 surgical bedsplus back. According to a recent report by the Fraser Health Authority, for a hospital located where the Delta Hospital is today, it should have at least 150 beds.
We only have 58 beds and they are only primary and secondary in nature, with no surgical beds.
This should not be acceptable to anyone living or working in Delta or the Tsawwassen First Nation and there should be a judicial inquiry to find out why.
Douglas George Massey
