Hundreds of people are expected to gather for a public meeting to discuss the fate of Leamington District Memorial Hospital's obstetrics unit.
The Erie St. Clair LHIN will hear concerns about proposed service changes at the hospital that would have a huge impact on where Essex County mothers deliver their babies.
The LHIN is scheduled to hear from healthcare stakeholders, including EMS, the midwifery program and local politicians, such as Leamington Mayor John Paterson and Windsor West MPP Lisa Gretzky.
Following these presentations, the public will have a chance to voice their concerns.
The decision to close the obstetrics program at Leamington hospital hasn't been a popular one. Mothers are begging hospital officials to reconsider.
“If we had the dollars, we wouldn't be making this decision," says hospital CEO Terry Shields.
He says the hospitals funding is changing. They now have a $2-million shortfall, so he says they have to look at what the community needs.
“The number of births are expected to decline,” says Shields. “Whereas the number of people who are 65 or older is expected to increase by 33 per cent in five years.”
The closure will mean job losses - 16 registered nurses will be given layoff notices. All are expected to take early retirement offers, so the hospital says these cuts will be made through attrition.
Nine registered practical nurses and 12 personal support workers will also be laid off.
Leamington and Lakeshore councils have both passed a formal resolution to support keeping the OB unit open. Kingsville and Leamington mayors will make presentations Wednesday night.
Paterson says the decision to close the OB unit is contrary to the town's economic plans and what it’s trying to do for the municipality to get local industry growing again.
A petition with over 4,000 signatures has been collected and will also be presented at the meeting.
