The Written Word: June 17, 2008
By Rafe Mair
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 03:45 AM
There is a story out of the Lower Mainland which I daresay could relate to all 
areas of the province.
areas of the province.Back in the late 70s then Health Minister Bob McLelland had studies done on the demographics of areas surrounding Royal Columbian Hospital which indicated that the hew areas being opened up, thus containing younger people, was the place to build a new acute care hospital to be called Eagleridge. The other decision was to convert St Mary’s, a Catholic hospital, into an extended care hospital converting it from its acute care history. This caused a huge furor which I inherited in late 1979 when I became the minister. I was picketed everywhere I went and petitions of huge numbers of names were deposited in my office daily it seemed. It became a religious controversy until I pointed out to the late Archbishop James Carney that this wasn’t a Protestant plot but a health decision based on demographics. I held my ground but my successor in 1981 evidently lost his nerve and canceled my decision. 25 years later the decision was reimposed but the carnage remains. Eagleridge which should have 250 acute care beds has 83 and no emergency ward. On the other hand Royal Columbia is swamped and has had to put in mobile hospital wards.
It’s yielding to pressure and abandoning the right decision that has this area in a pickle. I wonder how many other regions have similar stories to tell.
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