St. Stephen residents protest closure of hospital's operating room
Shane Fowler | CBC News | Posted: July 28, 2016 10:28 AM | Last Updated: July 28, 2016
Horizon Health decision to permanently close surgical program in St. Stephen brought hundreds to rally
More than 500 upset St. Stephen residents gathered outside of the Charlotte County Hospital on Wednesday night to protest the upcoming closure of the surgical program.
The group "Concerned Citizens of Charlotte County" is worried losing its surgeons is just the first step in the border town eventually losing the hospital.
"We want the government to come back with a change in their decision to keep the hospital with a full operating room," said rally organizer Trudy Higgins.
"We will not take no for an answer. This is our hospital. It's in our county and we want to keep it here."
Higgins also gave the provincial government a firm deadline with a threat to further escalate their protest.
"We're giving them until Friday," said Higgins.
"If we don't hear anything back then we'll take the next step."
Several residents took turns sharing a bullhorn and voicing their anger over the closure.
"Our committee hasn't even looked and we've been approached by four doctors, surgeons, in Fredericton who have said that they would willingly come to Charlotte County but they can't get a billing number," said Higgins.
"There's a lot of games being played by Horizon."
Fears of losing hospital
Andrea Gayton, a St Stephen resident, said her teenage son was recently in a dirt bike accident.
He broke his foot and shredded his buttocks. Gayton says without the hospital services it would have meant a dangerous drive and long waits in Saint John.
"I'm scared that if they take our OR, then eventually the hospital will be taken as well and it's too far to Saint John," Gayton said.
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"We're not asking for something we don't already have, We don't want them to give us millions of dollars to put this in. We have it, it's there. Why not use it to the best of their ability to use it? It's crazy."
Horizon Health previously issued a statement saying the surgical program is being permanently closed on Aug. 8 due to low surgical volume.