A fundraising campaign to update the Children's Health Centre at Surrey Memorial Hospital officially kicked off Thursday with a massive donation from a local software company.
The Children's Health Centre is the busiest facility of its kind in the Fraser Health region, treating tens of thousands of youngsters every year who are suffering from everything from broken bones to cancer.
But Surrey's population has ballooned by 50 per cent since it was built in 2001, and more clinics and rooms are long overdue. That will change if the Surrey Hospital Foundation can reach its fundraising goal of $6 million, in a campaign being supported by CTV News.
"We plan on doubling the number of our outpatient clinical spaces that are available," said Dr. Hemendra Ramdhani, the hospital's head of pediatrics. "We also plan to increase the number of inpatient beds."
And the campaign is off to a strong start thanks to a massive $1 million donation from Surrey-based Safe Software.
"We believe in investing in the future, and have a special interest in philanthropy related to youth," the company's co-founder Dale Lutz said in a statement. "We hope this gift … will bolster the tireless work that the medical and professional teams at Surrey Memorial Hospital do every day."
The renovated facility will also have a new family waiting area, new clinics and expanded services, including neurology, cardiology and nephrology.
Being able to offer more specialized services will mean some patients will no longer have to make weekly or even daily trips into Vancouver to attend BC Children's Hospital, Dr. Ramdhani said.
"This is not a minor event," he said. "Our aim, ultimately, is to provide quality care to our families close to home."
The Children's Health Centre was designated a regional hospital in 2011, and serves patients from Surrey, Delta, White Rock, Langley and beyond.
To donate to the Surrey Hospital Foundation's campaign, click here.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Maria Weisgarber
