People south of the Fraser will soon have access to cardiac and radiology services closer to home.
At a press conference at Surrey Memorial Hospital on Friday (Dec. 5), Premier David Eby announced that new cardiac catheterization suites will open on Dec. 8, followed by the two new interventional radiology suites on Jan. 8, 2026.
“People living in Surrey deserve health care close to home. Not after a long wait or a long drive to another community, but right here in Surrey,” Eby said. “Expanding life-saving services is a part of our commitment to building up Surrey’s health-care system so that everyone can access the specialized care they need, when they need it.”
The new cardiac catheterization suites are the first of their kind south of the Fraser.
The suites will be used for interventional cardiology procedures, which “is a minimally invasive technique that uses small instruments guided through blood vessels to diagnose and treat heart conditions without open surgery.”
“For interventional radiology, it means for some cancer treatments, for other heart-related health issues, other internal issues, where the doctors need to get a look to see what’s happening, to understand and to intervene, to treat and provide care that you don’t have to travel to New Westminster,” Eby said.
Dr. Dwayne Conway, regional co-director of interventional cardiology for Fraser Health, and department head of interventional cardiology for Surrey Memorial Hospital, said: “Being able to provide interventional cardiology here in Surrey is a meaningful step forward for our patients and for the region. Timely access to this type of care can make a considerable difference to outcomes, and having it available locally will ease what has, for many years, been a real concern for patients and families. I’m grateful to the colleagues and staff whose steady commitment and hard work have brought us to this point.”
Currently, if a patient needs a cardiac procedure such as angioplasty, diagnostic angiography, or invasive coronary imaging, they would have to travel to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster or to hospitals in Vancouver.
These patients will soon be able to be diagnosed and treated at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
Conway said he is not “a one-man band” and took the time to thank everyone who has put in the hard work over the years to make this project possible. He used the analogy of a symphony orchestra to describe each key role that people play.
“I’d like to thank all of the staff who are working with me, they are the orchestral musicians, each and every one of them accomplished solo performers, but even better, in the team and together, we’re going to make really sweet music here and the rhythm is going to be the heartbeat of our patients and our community.”
Dermot Kelly, president and CEO of Fraser Health, said today’s announcement was not just about celebrating the new technology and suites.
“It’s what it means for the people in the families who need health care, and often on some of the most difficult days of their lives, it’s about offering them care, compassion and confidence from the moment that they arrive,” Kelly said. “The new interventional unit, including the new cardiac catheterization suites, reflects our commitment to providing leading-edge care that is timely, coordinated and truly centred on the needs of our community.”
Friday’s announcement comes as a Surrey family continues to advocate for significant reforms in the health-care system following the sudden death of their son, Rowan Hamilton.
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Original source: ca