Three city councillors are petitioning Premier John Horgan to commit funds towards Richmond Hospital’s proposed acute care tower in the next B.C. budget in February 2018.
Richmond First Voters Society, a political group represented by Couns. Derek Dang, Bill McNulty and Linda McPhail, started the online petition, at Change.org, recently with an initial goal of 1,000 signatures.
To date, it has received more than 500 signatures.
“We’ve had governments pay lip service to our needs in Richmond for years and we’re calling on the public to tell the Premier to finally make a commitment,” said McNulty.
The councillors listed a few reasons why the project cannot wait any longer in a letter to the provincial government.
“Richmond Hospital has one bed available per 1000 people living in Richmond, the fewest of any hospital in British Columbia,” said Dang.
“And our population continues to grow.”
Today, stated the petition, with 233 beds, Richmond Hospital serves a city population of nearly 220,000 residents, not including the hospital’s role in servicing YVR airport.
McNulty added that the old acute tower is more than 50 years old and falls woefully short of current seismic standards and “does not meet current health standards.”
The letter also pointed out that the $27 million in donations that Richmond Hospital Foundation has raised to build a new tower is at risk without a commitment from the B.C. Government.
“Half (of the donations) is tied to a construction start date in 2020 and may be revoked if that deadline passes without action,” said the letter.
“Time is of the essence to advance the acute care tower and capitalize on the substantial donations being raised in our community,” said McPhail.
“The public has clearly spoken with their philanthropy and now we want them to add their voices too.”
A concept plan for a new acute care tower was delivered by Vancouver Coastal Health to the BC Government early in 2017. The previous BC Liberal government committed to advancing planning in September 2017, and the BC NDP supported advancing the hospital tower as quickly as possible prior to the May 2017 election.
To date, no further action has been announced.
