News

KINGSTON, Mar 9 (LSN) – Last week, the Ontario hospital restructuring committee called for the closure of Kingston's Hotel Dieu and St. Mary’s Catholic hospitals, alluding to abortion as the reason for the selection of the Catholic sites for closures. However, the Catholic Health Association (CHA) of Ontario will contest the ruling. The commission plans to allow the Sisters of Providence who run St. Mary's to retain the governance of the care of long-term chronic and psychiatric patients. The Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph who own and operate Hotel Dieu would be stripped of governing powers and be asked to manage the ambulatory care of patients.  The changes are characteristic of most communities visited by the restructuring committee.  Religious hospitals have been limited to areas of long-term care, mental health and ambulatory care. Pediatric and obstetric services, for which religious hosptials are especially suited, are regularly withdrawn from those hospitals. Commission CEO Mark Rochon indicated that the reason for the maneuvering was abortion, saying that the commission considers “women's health important in all communities” and that the commission would “ensure all services are provided.”  CHA president Ron Marr noted that the CHA would be fighting the closures and the removal of the Sisters from their governing positions. Reacting to the apparent reason for the closures being abortion, Marr told reporters Saturday, “Women’s health issues are extremely important