The two NDP candidates running to serve our area in the upcoming federal election have pledged to restart full obstetric care in Flin Flon if elected.
Similar to the Manitoba NDP’s campaign trail promise of restoring obstetric services to Flin Flon General Hospital if elected, both incumbent candidates Niki Ashton and Georgina Jolibois pledged support for restarting full care.
“We are here… to state our clear support for reopening the obstetrics ward and reinstating maternal health services to residents of Flin Flon and Creighton and the surrounding communities,” said Ashton in an event at Pioneer Square Sept. 17.
“We believe that what’s taking place in Flin Flon and this part of our north is wrong, it is unjust and it’s had a detrimental impact.”
Jolibois said the hospital was a key place for expectant mothers in northern Saskatchewan to deliver babies, adding mothers-to-be now have to travel longer distances to The Pas and Prince Albert.
“Throughout the north, when I’m visiting with service delivery people, doctors, nurse practitioners and the mothers, the sad reality in northern Saskatchewan is that expectant mothers have to leave their homes to go south to deliver their babies,” she said.
“This is a very important issue, a critical issue in northern Saskatchewan and we need to address this. The province needs to step up to the plate and improve the service in northern Saskatchewan.”
In the candidates’ announcement, Ashton acknowledged the work of the We Want Birth committee and other activists who have come to the forefront of discussion around the services’ closure.
Some obstetric services at Flin Flon General Hospital, including birthing, were suspended last November following an external audit of the service. When the suspension was announced, the Northern Health Region (NHR) said services were suspended due to potentially unsafe conditions and inconsistent staffing levels for obstetricians.
The candidates’ announcement is part of their party’s campaign plank of strengthening health care Canada-wide, calling for an expansion of Medicare and a national pharmacare and dental care program if elected.
“We are standing for an expansion of health care,” Ashton said.
“People know that the federal government has a role to play.”
Health care is overseen mostly by provincial governments, with decisions are made by regional health groups such as the NHR, but Ashton said federal politicians can play a role in the process.
“Yes, health care is a key provincial issue, but let’s not make a mistake - it depends on federal funding,” she said.
“We don’t want to let the federal government off the hook. We need a federal government that will work with us here in the north, to ensure quality health care for northern people.”
