Horizon Health Lends Support To Clinic 554

People hoping to save New Brunswick’s only private abortion clinic are getting support from the Horizon Health Network.

The health authority’s board has passed a motion calling on the province to pay for abortions done outside of hospitals.

Clinic 554 in Fredericton announced its impending closure two weeks ago, blaming the province for not funding abortions in private clinics.

Right now, abortions are only covered if the procedure is performed in one of Moncton’s two hospitals or the one in Bathurst.

The motion from board chair John McGarry says they “will advocate to the government of New Brunswick for payment to physicians to provide abortion services in a quality and safe environment outside of hospitals.”

Members of the group Save Clinic 554 attended Horizon’s board meeting in Saint John on Thursday and asked for support from the health authority.

“Can Horizon Health please commit to further collaboration and/or support of Clinic 554, and if not, how does Horizon Health plan to meet the needs of the people who will lose the services that the clinic provides?” asked Tadhg Saxa.

Karen McGrath, president and CEO of Horizon, said they have already met with the clinic’s owner with respect to collaboration.

“Certainly, we can continue those conversations next week when we will schedule another meeting with concerned citizens,” said McGrath.

Saxa pointed out the clinic has been doing more than just providing reproductive health services.

It also provides a primary care physician to about 3,000 patients, all transgender care provided in the region, half of the Pap tests completed in the region, and one of two specialized addiction physicians in the region, Saxa said.

McGrath said Horizon will be committed to having discussions about how people can be cared for if the clinic closes.

“There are a number of mechanisms in place to deal with individuals who would be misplaced by the service, some of which are in the purview of Horizon, some of which are not, some of which are offered by other clinicians in the area,” she said.

The province has said the Department of Health does not fund private healthcare services, in accordance with the Canada Health Act.

But during the federal election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would sit down with Premier Blaine Higgs if re-elected “and let him know that we will use all tools at our disposal, including tools that exist under the Canada Health Act.”