40-BED DRUG CLINIC PLANNED FOR SURREY

The famous Betty Ford Clinic is the inspiration for a proposed
drug-treatment facility in Surrey, Coun. Dianne Watts said yesterday.

Watts said a group of B.C. doctors has begun planning a 40-bed clinic
to get patients clean from drugs and make sure they are physically
well before sending them back into society.

"It's in the preliminary stage. No public money is involved. It is a
referral clinic, not a walk-in," she said.

Watts would not reveal the group's members, but several Surrey
businessmen are believed to have put up $1.5 million.

Their model is the upscale Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, Calif.,
which caters to high-end clients able to pay $14,450 US a month for
in-patient services.

Surrey's clinic would also provide nurses, doctors and orderlies on a
24-hour basis, but the fee scale would be different if the plan goes
ahead. There would be a two-tier system, with amounts based on
affordability.

"No one would be turned away," said Watts. "Once the addiction is
under control, underlying health issues such as liver and kidneys
would be looked at."

Organizers hope to make a selection shortly from among three sites.
Two of them would need structural work.

Organizers believe the project will be licensed by the Fraser Health
Authority since B.C. doctors, who know their way around the health
system, are on board.

The group hopes to have the program up and running in six months, but
people in the treatment business believe that site selection, zoning,
public hearings and renovation/construction will take considerably
longer.