How much does a town need a pediatric surgeon?

Depends: It depends on the population. If the population is over 250, 000 then the likelihood of major birth defects and even common problems requiring surgery increase.

It depends: In the us, there are about 725 pediatric surgeons. Given the population, that makes for 1 pediatric surgeon per 400, 000 to 500, 000 population. Most pediatric surgeons practice in groups in major cities in children's hospitals and/or academic medical centers. There are a handful of pediatric surgeons by themselves in smaller cities, but that is not the norm.