Dalhousie fights to keep 4 palliative care beds

Dalhousie residents are petitioning the Vitalité Health Authority to re-open four palliative beds that have been closed since mid-June

The palliative care beds are closed for several months each year to save money, but the Vitalité Health Network announced in August it plans to shut them down permanently, reducing the number of end-of-life care spots in the region to six from 10.

Sister Jeannine LeClair drove for three hours to deliver the petition to Vitalite's board of directors in Moncton on Tuesday.

LeClair said it is necessary to reopen the beds so people can be close to their friends and family when they are dying.

“It's important for the sick people for sure, and especially for the family who come from far. At the end of their life, they need to have their family near, so it's important,” she said.

Dalhousie Mayor Clem Tremblay joined LeClair at the meeting.

He said he's representing mayors from neighbouring communities, as well as the 4,500 people who signed the document.

“We had an obligation to the people who put their signature on that and believed the palliative care in Dalhousie, has to be open and must be open again," he said.

Without the beds in Dalhousie, people have to travel to nearby Campbellton.

But Rino Volpé, chief executive officer of the Vitalité Health Network, said the decision on closing the beds has been made.

“We have costed everything, looked at what we could improve and recommended to the board, it was unanimous, and from what I hear today it is still the case,” Volpé said.

However, LeClair and Tremblay said they hope the new Liberal government may change the decision.