The Editor,

Re: "Surrey's growth puts squeeze on health care," the Now letters, Oct. 25.

It was interesting to read E. Driscoll's comments on the health-care problems in Surrey.?

I would like to advise Driscoll the real problem is having one hospital of just more than 600 beds serving a population of over 450,000 - while most cities in Canada with that kind of population have between 2,000 to 2,500 beds.?

Take Calgary back in 1980 - when its population was just more than 500,000, the city's hospital had 2,500 beds.

Another example is Vancouver - it has more than 3,000 beds serving a population of just over 500,000.

I remember going to a ceremony at Highway 10 and 152nd Street back in 2004 about building a new hospital - that hasn't happened. I have asked why with no firm answers from our political leaders.

Sure, the new building under construction at Surrey Memorial Hospital will add another 600 beds, but that is far from the total of the number of beds needed for a city with such a huge - and growing - population.

Ron Watson, Surrey