Editor:
The lives of people living and working in Delta have been put in jeopardy because the Ministry of Health and the Fraser Health Authority will not sufficiently fund a 24/7 surgical program at Delta Hospital, an emergency service most communities of lesser size and industrialization have.
They say it is not economical to provide that type of service at Delta Hospital and that any surgical emergency after 3 p.m. must be transferred to another hospital if it can handle it in an expeditious manner.
The Fraser Health Authority no longer has such an agreement for emergency surgeries at Richmond Hospital, so patients have to be transferred by ambulance to either New Westminster or Surrey at great risk to the patient and inconvenience and stress to the families.
This is not acceptable in an area that has five provincial highways, much train traffic, a superport, a ferry terminal, an airport, two major industrial parks, LNG plant, the Tsawwassen First Nation and three residential communities.
We have up to 30 doctors who have declared the necessity of having 24/7 emergency surgical capabilities. Surely 24/7 service to save lives should have the same priorities as having 24/7 fire and police departments.
The people living and working here, along with governmental and corporate bodies, should demand that Delta Hospital be funded to provide that standard.
Douglas George Massey
