Organized opposition to the recent shutdown of some obstetric services in Flin Flon is taking shape.
Since birth services were shut down in Flin Flon on Nov. 18, activists and political figures have made no secret of their displeasure with the news. With the initial wave of anger beginning to ebb, efforts to restore obstetrics and bring awareness to Flin Flon viewpoints are coming forward.
A petition circulated by Flin Flon advocacy group We Want Birth has received more than 200 signatures and was submitted to the provincial government.
“I would encourage people to fill them out, telling this government that we need obstetric services available in Flin Flon. We need to make Flin Flon voices heard in Winnipeg,” said Flin Flon MLA Tom Lindsey.
The We Want Birth group had planned to stage a sit-in at Flin Flon General Hospital on Dec. 4, but cancelled the protest after meeting with NHR CEO Helga Bryant.
The Northern Health Region (NHR) has said the closure of birth services was due to concerns about service availability. Since Flin Flon’s last full-time obstetrician left the community in 2017, service has relied on locum obstetricians, leaving gaps in services that were deemed a safety risk.
“This has nothing to do with cutting costs and everything to do with patient safety,” reads a fact sheet posted on the NHR’s website.
The closure is expected to have a large impact on nearby communities in northern Saskatchewan. More than half of the estimated 150 births that took place each year at Flin Flon General Hospital involved mothers from Saskatchewan. The issue of what may happen to expectant women from Creighton, Denare Beach, Deschambault Lake, Pelican Narrows, Sandy Bay and other communities has been discussed in both provinces since the shutdown was first announced.
With full obstetric facilities not available in any of the aforementioned communities or in Flin Flon, the nearest options for giving birth would be in either The Pas or Prince Albert.
Greg Ottenbreit, Saskatchewan’s minister of Rural and Remote Health, said during Question Period in legislature last month that the province would work with Manitoba on providing care and services for expectant mothers, adding that other forms of medical care are still available in Flin Flon, including prenatal and postpartum treatment.
Creighton town council chose last week to request a meeting between Ottenbreit and Creighton mayor Bruce Fidler on Dec. 13 to discuss how the province can assist.
If someone reports to the Flin Flon General Hospital in active labour, the current NHR plan is for the expectant mother to undergo an assessment. The mother may be transported to The Pas or may still be looked after at Flin Flon General Hospital if travel is deemed too risky.
According to the NHR website, costs for Saskatchewan mothers coming to Flin Flon to give birth were previously covered by the Saskatchewan government under a cost-sharing agreement. It is not known if the same agreement would apply if care is administered in The Pas instead of Flin Flon.
“A good portion of the folks who come to Flin Flon for births come from Saskatchewan. Have they sat down with the federal government? The federal government has a responsibility for people as well,” said Lindsey.
“Between the three levels of government, for heaven’s sakes, there has to be something we can do, not only to get our obstetric services back, but to actually grow the health care services in Flin Flon.”
Meanwhile, the NHR is still hoping to hire a full-time obstetrician for Flin Flon.
“We have not given up. We will continue in our efforts to recruit to fill all vacant positions in the region,” reads the online fact sheet.
