Fraser Divide: North Vs. South

As Surrey accelerates towards becoming the largest city in BC, successive governments continue to underestimate its needs and follow their traditional investment patterns. Surrey has historically received less healthcare investment than Vancouver, with Fraser Health Authority receiving $2,229 per capita compared to Vancouver Coastal Health receiving $3,033 per capita. Extrapolating over 600k people in each city translates to a difference of $500 million annually. “We have universal health care funded equally by taxpayers throughout the province. So, it’s beyond me why one area of BC should get more funding and infrastructure than an area that’s rapidly growing,” remarks Gill.

In alignment with the government’s funding priorities, St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver is getting a new replacement building spread across 18 acres just east of Vancouver’s downtown core. The 1.2 million square foot acute care hospital will be attached to a world-class research hub with a multitude of high-end, state-ofthe-art, life-saving interventions despite its proximity to Vancouver General Hospital. Many residents wonder why Surrey won’t be receiving such a facility, despite the provincial government’s assurances that it truly prioritizes the city. Residents such as Dr. Arvinder Bubber, FCPA, FCA and Former Chancellor of KPU are not surprised. “Traditionally, Vancouver has exerted a lot of political weight, which is why governments have always invested in such facilities there,” he shares. Harjinder Thind shares his frustration, juxtaposing Vancouver, which has five major hospitals, with Surrey, which is somehow managing with only one despite a massive influx of people settling there. “We have close to 1,500 new people coming to Surrey every month, and soon we’ll surpass Vancouver in terms of population, yet we’re unable to get a brand new, fullfledged hospital,” he says.

Harjinder Thind explains that Surrey Memorial Hospital was built for 350,000 people and was saturated long ago. “If you visit the hospital, you’ll find dozens of patients in the hallway screaming in pain while there’s no one to take care of them because the ratio of patients to the medical staff is grossly uneven, with most of them feeling completely burnt out, which is why we need a brand new, modern hospital with state-of-theart facilities,” he says.

Even within the Fraser Health Authority, there’s a lot of disparity in the funding and infrastructure between hospitals on the north and south of the Fraser River. For instance, the maternity beds in Surrey have increased by four from 28 to 32 over the last two decades. Surrey Memorial Hospital’s Birthing Unit is at capacity and sometimes on diversion five out of seven days a week. Yet, there is no approved or funded plan to expand the number of maternity beds in Surrey. Meanwhile, maternity expansion is scheduled for the Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster for 2025, increasing the maternity bed count from 24 to 48, making it the largest maternity centre outside BC Women’s Hospital. That hospital is also getting a new cath lab to open in 2025. take accountability for its mandate and assert its power on behalf of the people of Surrey.

According to Gill, such a discrepancy continues because the government is following old patterns, where funding followed the perceived base of power. “If you don’t question the government, you won’t get your fair share. It’s time our community comes together, voices their opinion and advocates for change. Earlier, the political base was concentrated in Vancouver, but that has changed. Earlier, there were no political ramifications if governments didn’t pay attention to the residents of Surrey because the voter base wasn’t there. But now the road to the Premier’s office goes through Surrey, and if we speak up and talk about our needs, the funding model will soon reflect that,” says Gill.

Dr. Arvinder Bubber is also hopeful that things will get better for Surrey in the future. “We need to have a transparent and robust conversation with the government. I’m also excited about the SFU medical school being set up in the city, as that means more doctors will be part of the fabric of Surrey. We have traditionally lacked training hospitals in Surrey, and a medical school will be a great boost for the Surrey healthcare system,” he says.

After talking to the community, it is apparent that they unanimously want an upgrade from the existing hospital infrastructure that will serve the community’s needs today and continue to accommodate imminent population growth. People also seemed tired of the government politicizing and playing the blame game on such a critical issue that directly impacts survivability. Regardless of what the previous governments have done, coming through for the community now is essential—and to do that, the government, medical professionals and community leaders must be aligned on a solution that takes care of the people of Surrey today and tomorrow.

Surrey’s rapid growth has strained the city’s healthcare system leaving hospitals under-equipped to care for the community’s needs. However, what has made matters worse is the lack of vision on the part of the government to bring in more specialized infrastructure to adequately handle the patient volume. It is apparent that the traditional model of redirecting these treatments to hospitals north of Fraser is no longer just or equitable. As well, the Fraser Health Authority should

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Dr San Bhatha knew he wanted to become a dentist even before he was in his teens. Inspired by his family dentist who practiced in Richmond, BC, Dr Bhatha had his career path laid out for him quite early on. “Unlike other children, I really looked forward to visiting my dentist. He was fun, friendly, and someone I enjoyed talking to, even as a kid. He became a role model to me, which sparked my interest in the profession,” he says.

Now, as a practicing dentist for over two decades and owner of Southridge Dental, Dr Bhatha has always aspired to be as authentic and friendly with his clients as possible. He takes pride in his dental clinic, offering his clients the highest level of customer service, making them feel safe and welcome while providing the best possible treatment in the most pain-free manner. As someone who loves meeting people, Dr Bhatha shares, “Ours is a family practice, and I enjoy engaging with my patients—in fact, I’ve known some of them since they were kids, and now they are all grown up.”

Given the kind of effort and care Southridge Dental puts into its client relations, it’s no surprise that it constantly receives new patients, leading it to recently expand its clinic into the space next-door. The clinic now has an additional 3 new treatment rooms including one dedicated surgical room, taking the total number of treatment rooms to 11 to accommodate new patients. As such, the clinic offers every possible dental treatment to their patients, including Invisalign (now available to kids) single and full mouth implants, Cosmetic treatments such as smile makeovers with Veneers and crowns, oral surgeries including bone and gum graft and wisdom teeth removal, full mouth rehabilitations, Botox and regular child and adult treatments including emergencies.

Recently, Southridge Dental won the Medium-Sized Business Award from the South Surrey & White Rock Chamber of Commerce. It was also voted the best Cosmetic Dentist and the Best Dental office in Surrey by the community. “All these awards only reaffirm my belief that we have an amazing team at Southridge Dental. They have a great work ethic and always provide empathy and care to all of our patients. We take the time to listen to all of our patients needs in order to deliver the best patient experience,” adds Dr Bhatha, excited to talk about his team. Besides working, Dr Bhatha is passionate about community service. He and his family have been raising money and awareness along with Youth Unlimited for homeless youth for the last 5 years by participating in an event called “One Night Out,” which involves sleeping in the freezing cold in November with other people from the community. He has also been involved with the City of Surrey’s school district’s Backpack Program, which helps provide backpacks with all the supplies to those in need. Dr Bhatha and his team also pick various charitable organizations each Christmas and collectively as a team put together gift baskets for organizations such as Sources, the SPCA, LAPS, the Surrey Food Bank, and local women’s shelters. Dr Bhatha also supports various community sports teams, both financially and with their fundraising events.

Dr Bhatha has been married for almost 24 years to his wife Sandeep, whom he considers his biggest inspiration in life and has 2 beautiful kids, Suhaana, 19, entering her 3rd year at UBC Sauder Business School, and his son, Suvaan, 17, about to enter 1st year at UBC Sauder Business School this fall. He is also passionate about road biking, and has participated in the Whistler GranFondo twice, once with his wife Sandeep. He is a member of the Peninsula Triathlon Club. Last year, as he turned 50, he participated in his first beginner triathlon. He also enjoys travelling and exploring new places with his family.

RAJ SINGH Owner & President