A ruling to keep the Leamington District Memorial Hospital obstetrics unit open passed the initial deadline means intermittent closures and uncertainty for staff.
That from hospital CEO Terry Shields, who says the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network has all the information they need. The LHIN already funded a six-month long, $160,000 study into the hospital's operations, which recommended the unit close.
He says OB nurses are looking for other jobs and if they find them, the unit can't operate. "This is not in the best interest. Either fund it or close. Given the fact (the LHIN) just found $7-million for CCAC, which is all incremental funding for them, our expectation is now that (the LHIN) is in a position to restore our funding."
Shields says they need a $1-million per year increase in base funding from the LHIN, plus an extra $1.2-million the next two years to maintain programs at the hospital without any cuts.