The stigma surrounding abortion continues in New Brunswick - Open Letter from Dr. Henry Morgentaler
July 28, 2006
The New Brunswick
government continues to deny women access to publicly funded abortions.
Under the current Medical Services Payment Act, to have an abortion covered
by Medicare, women are obliged to have the approval of two doctors in
writing and the abortion must be performed in a hospital by a gynecologist.
This leaves women with no family doctor or an anti-choice doctor no option
other than the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton. This discriminatory
practice must stop.
Minister Green promised a seamless transition with no disruption in service
when the Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital in Fredericton stopped providing
abortions at the end of June. Apparently two doctors have been identified
who will provide abortions but then why is the Morgentaler Clinic still
receiving calls from physicians who still don't know where to refer their
patients.
In reality, the Morgentaler Clinic in Fredericton continues to provide
the majority of abortions done in the province because women know they
don't have to jump through hoops and lie to obtain what is a medically
necessary procedure which should be covered by Medicare whether performed
in a hospital or a clinic setting.
The only drawback for women coming to the clinic are the anti-choice forces
who verbally assault them as they enter the clinic and try to intimidate
them with visual propaganda. The recent display of gross and misrepresentative
images of aborted fetuses by the Show the Truth group from Ontario is
a case in point. In further efforts to intimidate abortion providers and
women coming to the clinic, the anti-choice have taken to vandalizing
the clinic.
The anti-choice movement has proven itself, time and time again, to be
a hostile, manipulative movement that resorts to these appalling tactics
to be heard. The Government of New Brunswick must address this issue;
it is part of their mandate to protect the women of New Brunswick against
this type of "fanaticism." The women of New Brunswick are entitled
to medically safe abortions that are covered by Medicare. The Government
has not only refused to cover abortions at the Morgentaler Clinic, it
has not taken the appropriate action to advise the medical profession,
nor New Brunswick women seeking abortion services, where this essential
service will be available. It seems that the Government of New Brunswick
condones this type of behavior by its "non-action".
The conservative Government of Stephen Harper has failed to pursue the
mediation process initiated by the previous Federal Liberal Government
regarding coverage of services at the Morgentaler Clinic. It is clear
that the Federal Conservative Government is pursuing an anti-choice policy
that is harming the women of New Brunswick. This government has shown
its true colours as being an anti-choice government unwilling to help
women, in defiance of the Supreme Court of Canada!
Henry Morgentaler M.D.
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