Editor:
I am a local who has lived here 15 years and I am due to give birth on the same day the Banff maternity ward is meant to shut down.
This is not my first birth. Three years ago, I had a stillborn at 40 weeks, two days overdue. As you may well imagine, today I have a serious post-traumatic stress disorder around going to the Canmore hospital or to Calgary Foothills, for any reason.
Luckily pregnant again, I found a doctor for maternity care at the new Canmore obstetric clinic, somewhat surprised that this was now my only option in town. At first I thought “consolidated care” would be a great idea: more doctors looking out for me, more coverage and perhaps less risk. I felt optimistic and willing to trust the new regime.
However, I began to feel alienated because each time I went there it seemed I was met by a brand new face who didn’t know my name and had no idea about my personal history.
Recently, though, I have found the right fit, a doctor who happens to be located in Banff. Unless extreme conditions dictate otherwise, I am going to Banff to deliver this baby in order to get the support I know I need. Unfortunately, mine may be the very last baby born there at Mineral Springs hospital… ever. This makes me sad for all the other locals who really need maternity services close by when the government plans to cut it out.
Not everybody who lives in Banff, Lake Louise or further, can easily travel all the way into Canmore to give birth.
Can anyone tell me what is really going on and why this closure is supposed to happen? Politicians insist that it is not about money, but that is hard to believe, since that is normally the case.
I personally know several people from all over Alberta who come all the way into Banff to have their knee or shoulder surgeries by the amazing surgeons here. Wonderful that we have legitimately famous, obviously competent surgeons who have cornered a whole new market which I’m sure brings in plenty of revenue, and it’s great that Banff is so accommodating for all of Alberta; but at the expense of whom, your neighbours and their newborns?
The idea of “surgical tourism” does not reflect the strong community spirit for which I originally moved into this Valley in order to ground my roots.
Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health sponsored a full page ad in last week’s Outlook openly inviting the community to ask questions, but no one from either organization actually showed up at Thursday’s meeting to provide any answers. All were invited and encouraged to represent themselves, but chose not to come. That speaks volumes.
Why interfere with what works and has worked for decades by cutting it out altogether? The reasons are unclear. It does not seem to make much sense and many can plainly see there will be a negative impact on our community. There are so many contradictions and very few straight answers so far, and this is only the beginning.
Put simply, consolidated care in Canmore is not the answer for everyone. Banff hospital is fully capable of supporting us all, from birth to death. We need to open up dialogue, come together and stop this. After all, the personal is political, and the political is personal.
Julie Vincent,
Canmore
