As residents in southern New Brunswick battle the provincial government over their hospital, people in Charlotte County laced up their sneakers and hit the pavement for their annual 14th annual Walk Cause We Care.
“Charlotte County Cancer is different than Canadian Cancer,” explains organizer Carrol Stewart. “The money stays in Charlotte County and it’s used to assist cancer patients with travel, medications, etc.”
Walk Cause We Care has raised more than $1 million over 14 years and communities in the county gathered once again Saturday to show their support for those battling cancer, but also for those involved in a battle over the local hospital’s surgical unit.
“People are supporting the hospital. We really feel that Horizon [Health Network] has let us down and they are not doing recruitment, they are not moving forward, even the plans they’re telling us are not feasible,” says John Gardner, a local resident and member of the Concerned Citizens of Charlotte County.
The group has been fighting the closure of the Charlotte County Hospital’s surgical unit and Gardner says residents would like to form their own board and regain control of the hospital.
“All the hospitals were run by local boards in the old days and it’s just been since the McKenna days that we’ve gone to the system of centralization,” he says. “But a lot of times what we’re finding is the centralized board doesn’t know what the small hospital needs. Communication lines are not open.”
But New Brunswick Health Minister Victor Boudreau says it’s not possible and it’s not going to happen.
“The reforms that occurred back in the late 2000s to bring all hospitals under two regional health authorities is the system that’s now in place,” says Boudreau. “No hospital is controlled by just a local board. We have two RHAs – Horizon and Vitalite – both are broken down into zones.”
Regardless, Gardner says he and the community will continue to fight for control over their hospital. He says they are only in the beginning stages of their request to have their own board take over the hospital and they won’t be giving up without a fight.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ashley Blackford
