Tuesday
September 18, 2012 (Vol. 37 No. 75)
V O I C E
O F
W H I T E
R O C K
A N D
S O U T H
S U R R E Y
w w w. p e a c e a r c h n e w s . c o m
Back on ice: The Surrey Eagles gave their fans plenty to celebrate Friday night, after winning their home-opener in thrilling fashion, with a 3-2 double-overtime win over Chilliwack. › see page A25
Hospital patients wait days for treatment, a health-care professional warns
Medical staff ‘abandoned’ at Peace Arch Alex Browne Staff Reporter
Patients spent the first two weeks of September waiting as long as four days in Peace Arch Hospital without treatment for serious conditions, a concerned health-care professional charges. Such waits – which affect unassigned patients not registered with family physicians – are due to a shortage of ‘hospitalists’ assigned to treat them, according to the source, who has
worked years in the community. The professional – who spoke to Peace Arch News on condition of not being identified – added that patients have been imperilled and nurses have felt “abandoned” – some reduced to tears – because of the situation. Responding to these concerns, Dr. Dave Williams, medical program director for Fraser Health, said that, while there have been challenges getting a ‘house-doctor’ program off the ground by the scheduled launch date
of Sept. 1, the authority has been working to recruit doctors and put infrastructure in place. All necessary shifts are covered for the rest of the month and into October, he said. The professional, however, said that as of Friday, there were still gaps in the schedule for doctors to treat unassigned patients through October. Patients not registered with family practitioners with admitting privileges amount to as many as 40 per cent of those currently being
admitted to the hospital. As of last week, some had been waiting for days for doctors to administer treatment for such conditions as heart attacks, strokes, bleeding disorders, pneumonia and serious infections. “These are acutely ill patients who are not being treated,” the source said, adding that in “the hospital’s busiest ward, the one with the sickest patients,” there was as much as a five-day wait to see a physician this month. › see page A2
Pedestrian airlifted
Exchange student on life support Tracy Holmes Staff Reporter
A 14-year-old Korean exchange student who was struck by a car at 152 Street and 34 Avenue Sunday night is not expected to survive. Sgt. Drew Grainger said the pedestrian was “clinging to life” in BC Children’s Hospital Monday, after undergoing surgery for swelling of the brain caused by “significant head trauma.” Struck by a northbound Honda Accord around 9:30 p.m., the victim – who had been crossing 152 Street westbound against a red light – was airlifted to hospital from a sports field at nearby Morgan Elementary. He remained on life support in grave condition Monday afternoon. › see page A4
Curtis Kreklau photo
An officer examines windshield damage to a car parked behind police tape, just north of where a teenager was struck Sunday evening.
Developers should pay to go higher: mayor Sarah Massah Staff Reporter
Wayne Baldwin mayor
Developers will have to dig deeper if they want to build taller in White Rock’s town centre, if a policy amendment due to be presented to council is approved. Mayor Wayne Baldwin announced last week at his State of the City address that council will be considering changes to
the city’s amenity contribution policy to require developers make a “significant financial contribution” to the community in exchange for increases in height and density. Baldwin confirmed Monday that an increase from $20 per square metre for bonus space to as much as $452 per square metre is what’s on the table. The
Support Your Local Economy Spend Your Money At Home
jump is recommended in a report that was commissioned to gain input on policy revisions. During his address to members of the South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce, Baldwin described the change as a “very bold move” that would involve pre-zoning potential building sites in White Rock’s town centre.
“Through the amenity contribution policy, developers would only be able to increase height above three storeys and a density above a floor area ratio of 1.75 if they made a significant financial contribution for the benefit of our community,” Baldwin said Thursday at the White Rock Community Centre. › see page A4
S AV E M O N E Y. O F F I C E I N T E L L I G E N T LY Flexible Lease Terms • Executive Furnished Offices Virtual Offices • Meeting Rooms Wireless Internet • Beverage Bar • Free Parking SPECIAL Suite 250 – 2411 160th Street, PROMOTION South Surrey (778) 371-3500 One Free Hour Of Meeting www.intelligentoffice.com Room Time