Four Leamington women travelled to Toronto, meeting with politicians from all parties with hopes of keeping the local obstetrics unit alive.
The goal of the trip, they say, was to bring the issue to the forefront of Queen's Park.
Pregnant mother Sandra Dick says women of the Save OB group met with Health Minister Eric Hoskins. "We are very excited that we had a chance to meet with him. We also met with his senior policy advisor and between the two of them, we left very hopeful," says Dick. "They're both very aware of the risks to rural women that we are particularly concerned about with a potential closure."
Shortly after the meeting, Hoskins said that if Leamington's OB unit closes, quality healthcare will still be offered, but Dick disagrees. "That was a bit disheartening hearing that, quite frankly, because I don't know how that can happen when the City of Windsor itself just came out with a statement supporting Leamington's obstetrics department," says Dick. "Realisticly they're at capacity at Windsor Regional Hospital and there isn't room for another nearly 400 births there a year."
Dick says the group is anxiously awaiting the recommendations of the expert panel, appointed by the Erie St. Clair LHIN.