Councillors Harry Bains and Mandeep Nagra Back Municipal Health Administrator to Address ER Wait Times

SURREY, BC — Surrey City Councillors Harry Bains (Surrey Connect) and Mandeep Nagra (Safe Surrey Coalition) united across party lines to support council measures establishing a dedicated municipal health liaison to address critical overcrowding at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Cross-Party Collaboration for Healthcare Delivery

The approved initiative directs city management to appoint a Senior Health Services Coordinator tasked with expediting development approvals for provincial urgent care centres, expanding diagnostic imaging clinics, and lobbying the Ministry of Health for expedited funding for a second hospital acute care tower in Cloverdale.

Councillor Bains emphasized that local government must proactively assist regional healthcare workers, while Councillor Nagra stressed that patient wait times in Surrey emergency wards require urgent intergovernmental focus.

Medical Community Reaction and Municipal Coordination

The Surrey Memorial Hospital Physician Association welcomed the municipal advocacy liaison, noting that coordinated land-use planning around hospital zones improves emergency vehicle access.

Council directed the newly established liaison office to report back with a strategic healthcare infrastructure master plan within 90 days.

Implementation Roadmap

Recruitment for the municipal health services coordinator will commence immediately.