The proposal to close the obstetrics unit at Georgian Bay General Hospital in Midland is something that even doctors at the hospital are calling a disturbing trend.
Dr. Doug Donald and Dr. Eileen Sacks are speaking out about the proposed cuts that could send women to Barrie or Orillia to give birth.
“Whether it be colonoscopies or cataract surgery; now it's going to be obstetrics,” says Donald. “We're making women in this community travel quite a distance.”
“I think a lot of the physicians are taken aback and feel somewhat betrayed,” says Sacks.
The hospital is $10 million in debt and a review conducted by a consulting firm came up with 108 recommendations, which included cuts.
"Some of the recommendations say we should stop doing things, either because of volume or we are concerned about the service that we offer,” Karen McGrath, president and CEO of GBGH told CTV News on Jan. 26.
Some of those reductions include cutting Intensive Care Unit beds and cutting down on the number of surgeries.
Ontario Conservative leader Patrick Brown is weighing in, calling the plan "atrocious".
“The fact that key services such as obstetrics won't be provided, the fact that we're seeing nurses cut, doctors cut makes no sense,” he says.
The province’s health minister, Eric Hoskins, is firing back and says the government has increased healthcare funding this year saying, "This year, we are investing more than $50 billion in Ontario’s health-care system.”
Hoskins went on to say that $11 billion is being spent on doctors and said, “Patrick Brown has made a number of claims that are completely false."
Hospital officials say more money for the system and for more doctors doesn't mean individual hospitals are getting more money – forcing them to make tough choices.
“I think we're one of many medium sized community hospitals that are, quite frankly, hitting the wall,” says McGrath.
The management team at GBGH say at this point there is no set date for cuts or changes to occur.
