Tim Hortons doubles as New Westminster emergency room

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Tim Hortons doubles as New Westminster emergency room

By Luba, The Province

Hartman of Coquitlam has a long, fairly positive history with Royal

Columbian Hospital so on Tuesday he defended the facility's use of a Tim Hortons

restaurant for overflow patients from the emergency department Monday night.

" At the end of the day, we'd much rather be treated in a Tim Hortons café than

not at all, " said Hartman after he left the iconic Canadian restaurant with a

cup of joe.

" They did the best with what they had, " he said.

Demeter Ekonomou wasn't quite as forgiving about the coffee shop care.

" That's ridiculous! " said the longtime Coquitlam resident.

" I can see that in some other nation in Europe or Egypt — but not here, " said

Ekonomou, who was at the New Westminster hospital accompanying his wife.

" The medical — I'm not happy with it, " he said, recalling a recent incident

where he fell and waited for treatment from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. at Eagle Ridge

Hospital in Port Moody.

But at least he was treated in a hospital, not a restaurant in a hospital.

Plug of the Fraser Health Authority said the Tim Hortons had never been

used for patients previously. But its proximity to the emergency room and the

lack of any other space — even in the hallways — led to the decision to use the

restaurant, which was already closed.

" We're going to review it, " said Plug of the unorthodox treatment.

Tim Hortons was officially used as hospital space from about 9 p.m. Monday to 1

a.m. Tuesday, according to Plug. Four patients stayed there for about 90 minutes

and the space was cleaned before and after they were there.

During their time in the restaurant-turned-ward, the patents were separated by

screens.