Rachel Notley flanked by MLA Janis Irwin and Medicine Hat Dr. Bill Ruzycki during a news conference in October. (CHAT News file photo)

By Alex McCuaig

Maternity clinic once again in peril as funding yet again set to expire

Jan 5, 2021 | 5:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The city’s maternity clinic is once again set to stop accepting new expectant mothers as negotiations to keep the prenatal service have been unable to secure either short-term bridge funding to buy more time to address the issue or find a permanent solution.

Dr. Gerry Prince, the head of the Family Medicine Maternity Clinic (FMMC), says time has run out on the three-month funding extension announced by AHS and the Palliser Primary Care Network in October.

Without any guarantee of funding, Prince says the clinic is unable to accept new patients with delivery dates past July 15 and the clinic will close later that month.

It’s a situation NDP Leader Rachel Notley warned about during a news conference in the city on Oct. 29 in which was proceeded by the AHS three-month funding extension announced only minutes before.

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“We are here to say it’s not enough,” said Notley of the extension. “The Sword of Damocles hanging over the continued existence of this clinic must be permanently removed.”

On Tuesday, Lethbridge MLA Shannon Phillips laid the blame for the current situation squarely on the UCP government and Medicine Hat MLAs Michaela Glasgo and Drew Barnes.

“It’s very clear to me both of the UCP MLAs for the Medicine Hat region have been fundamentally either not listening or ineffective in terms of saving these particular health care services,” said Phillips. “They are not focused on the well being of people in southern Alberta and families’ abilities to have that kind of certainty and that kind of health care access.”

Phillips added that in addition to losing a service that saves the health service money, there will be economic ramifications to the clinic closing.

“It’s certainly hard to attract and retain a young workforce if there is nowhere to have a baby,” she said.

Barnes agrees the clinic saves the provincial health system money.

“I believe that as well. I’ve been through some of the financial statements. It’s also a way for more midwives to be involved to get better service that way. The program has been great,” said Barnes.

And he says he has been taking action by advocating for the clinic to be funded by meeting with both AHS and provincial health ministry officials.

Reaction from city mothers has been swift with some saying they prefer to go through their pregnancies through their family doctors while others say finding one willing to take them on as a patient to term being incredibly difficult.

The latter issue is why the clinic was set up in the first place, says Barnes.

“I know we were in a hole before where the services weren’t provided so it’s really incumbent on Alberta Health Services and the health minister to make sure families in southeast Alberta are not left hanging,” said Barnes.

The Brooks maternity clinic is also facing closure due to funding issues.