~2-— Mr. R.A. Freeman September 17, 1973

AVG Management Science Ltd. in their 1971 study of

Obstetrical Requirements projected an estimated 1,893

: births for the Coquitlam School District at 1976. In

\ practical terms, not all these births would occur at

Do the proposed Coquitlam Hospital, since a certain

i percentage would continue to use Royal Columbian

: Hospital by virtue of their doctor's admission practices ~
and because of the need to refer high ritk cases, 10~15%

i of the total, to more sophisticated facilities than

} would be available at a commmity hospital,

V6 It is not feasible to suggest that the preposed Coquitlam
Hospital be developed as the Obstetric-Neonatal and
Gynaecological referral centre for the south-east portion
of the Regional District because the expensive and sophis-
ticated backup services necessary to cope with high risk
cases cannot be justified in a community hospital,

i 8. Population distribution and travel distances and times are
important considerations. Population is presently distributed
as follows:

Coquitiam bh%
Port Coquitlam 23%
Port Moody 13%

The majority of Coquitlam residents appear to live within a

f four mile redius of both the Royal. Columbian and Coquitiem

H fospitals, making driving time, by actual test, a maximum of
about ten minutes to either location. Some other residents
will have greater difficulty. From the corner of Argus and
Pitt River Road in Port Coquitlam to Royal Columbian Hospital
is about 7.5 miles, requiring about 17 mimites driving time.

From the same location to the proposed Coquitlam Fospi.tal
site is about 7.8 miles, also requiring about 17 minutes
| - driving time. The extreme northwest sector at Hazel and
} Coast Meridian is most adversely affected, From here to
j Royal Columbian is 12.5 miles requiring about 26 minutes;
i . and to the proposed Coquitlan Hospital site is about 8.2
i miles requiring about 18 minutes driving time.

The point of all this is simply to indicate that (1) the
majority of residents of the three areas heve reasonably
gocd access to Royal Columbian; and (2) travel distances
and driving times to Royal Columbian are not intolLerably
: excessive and would show only minor improvement relative
to the proposed Coquitlam Hospital.