The battle over the closure of Durham Hospital’s inpatient unit has escalated, with the South Bruce Gray Well being Centre (SBGHC) and the Ontario Ministry of the Legal professional Common submitting to have West Gray’s software for a judicial overview dismissed.
West Gray’s software, filed in Could, challenges the SBGHC’s choice to relocate the hospital’s 10 inpatient beds to Kincardine and Walkerton. The beds had been moved in June amid what the well being centre described as a “critical nursing shortage.” Nevertheless, Mayor Kevin Eccles tells CKNXNewsToday.ca that the municipality is set to see the authorized course of by way of, regardless of resistance from the well being centre and provincial authorities.
“South Bruce Grey Health Centre, the Ministry of Health, and the Attorney General have appealed that the case should not even be heard,” Eccles stated. “So now we are in the appeal process.”
The judicial overview goals to determine whether or not SBGHC overstepped its authority by eradicating inpatient beds from Durham Hospital. West Gray is asking the courtroom to advocate the beds be returned. Nevertheless, the movement by SBGHC and the province seeks to halt the case fully, arguing that the courts mustn’t intervene with operational selections made by healthcare organizations.
Eccles believes this resistance displays a insecurity within the authorized grounds for the closure. “My thinking is that they must be scared that the courts are going to see it a lot differently if they’re trying to get it thrown out before it can be heard,” he stated. “If they truly believe they have the right, then why wouldn’t you want to validate it in court? They’re doing everything they can to avoid being proven wrong.”
The case holds significance past Durham. Eccles warns that the end result might set a precedent affecting rural hospitals throughout Ontario. “We’re the only municipality right now that has started a legal case. Everyone else is sitting back, waiting to see what we’re doing,” Eccles defined. “If this can be done here, the way it’s being done, it could dramatically restrict rural healthcare across the province.”
Eccles emphasised the broader implications for communities depending on rural hospitals, the place closures and repair reductions might go away residents with restricted entry to care. “This isn’t just about Durham, it’s about ensuring that rural healthcare is protected for everyone,” he stated.
The mayor additionally expressed frustration with the shortage of transparency and collaboration from the well being heart and the province. “Let’s get down to brass tacks here and find out what’s going on with the Ministry of Health and how [SBGHC is] being instructed to deliver rural healthcare,” Eccles stated.
As he awaits a choice on whether or not the judicial overview will proceed, Eccles stays hopeful that the courts will permit the case to be heard. “We have a very good case,” he stated. “We want to prove they didn’t have the right to do what they did, and it’s got to be reversed.” The Ministry has declined remark citing the case’s ongoing standing in courtroom.
