Green Party MLA’s want the Higgs government to fully fund abortion services in New Brunswick.
The call comes as the only privately-run abortion clinic in the province – Clinic 554 in Fredericton – prepares to close since Medicare won’t pay for its services.
Memramcook-Tantramar Green MLA Megan Mitton believes the province is violating the Canada Health Act.
“Twenty five years ago, the federal government ruled that the provinces must fully fund private clinics that perform medically necessary procedures such as this one. New Brunswick is the only province in Canada which is not funding reproductive health services at a clinic within its borders which is unconstitutional.
Green leader David Coon is suggesting Horizon Health Network purchase and operate the clinic to allow these procedures to continue.
Provincial Department of Health spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane says abortions are available in publicly-funded hospitals and the Department, in accordance with the Canada Health Act, does not fund private healthcare services.
Only three public hospitals provide abortions in the province, the two in Moncton and one in Bathurst.
