A community forum and rally is being held in Banff today (Jan. 24) to fight the closure of Banff’s maternity ward.
The event will be held at the St. Mary’s Catholic Church Hall, beginning at 5 p.m., and will include an education session to help with community awareness of the issue.
“We want the community to have knowledge about this and we are hoping the hospital will change its mind,” said Tanya Piercey, a member of the group calling itself Hatch, Patch and Dispatch.
“We want to have basic services in our hospital, and we believe a maternity ward is a basic service. We are hoping the maternity ward is going to stay open in Banff.”
But officials with Banff Mineral Springs Hospital say closure of the maternity ward on March 25 is a done deal. Obstetrics is moving to Canmore General Hospital, about 25 kilometres away.
“The decision has been made and we are moving forward. This decision had been made with a lot of consultation,” said Cindy Mulherin, executive director of Banff Mineral Springs Hospital.
“This decision is the best thing for patient care and quality and safety. We can look at efficiencies and economies of scale and all those things, but this decision is about making sure there’s a safe birthing experience.”
Canmore Hospital had around 300 births last year, while Banff saw about 50.
With Dr. Patti Edgar’s departure from Banff to work at Canmore’s new birthing clinic at Three Sisters, more babies are being delivered in Canmore and Dr. Jane Fowke remains Banff’s only delivery doctor.
Mulherin said Canmore has a robust maternity program and has gained strength in the last few years.
“Our numbers have reduced such that the probability of a nurse being able to keep up experience and gain experience is very limited,” she said.
“It’s a team approach and when things go well it’s a beautiful experience, but when things go wrong it can be devastating; not just to baby, but to mom.”
Fowke, who has been delivering babies in the Banff hospital since 1988, is encouraging community members to protest the decision to close obstetrics in Banff.
She says increasing the number of deliveries at a given hospital does not on its own ensure quality, nor does it guarantee appropriate staffing, safety and long-term sustainability.
Birth, and its support services, is a central pillar of community,” said Fowke in a letter.
“We need to maintain maternity care in Banff so that health-care providers can continue to care for the women and children of our community.”
