The announcement of the immediate closing of the birthing unit today is stated as being a temporary event. The longer it stays closed, the more difficult it will be to open it again.

No promise was made nor a time given as to how long this closure would last. Is the hospital going to mothball this unit?

I hardly think so. It would be very hard on the bottom line. It will be used for other purposes. It is going to be extremely difficult under these circumstances to re-open the birthing unit after an extended period of time and for the hospital foundation to raise its $5 million.

Respect for the administration and the hospital board is going to evaporate very rapidly if this situation is not reversed quickly.

We have all heard the statement that the search for obstetricians was halted some time ago. We also heard that there was a person outside of the board and administration who was actively looking to find the required obstetricians. Why is this opportunity not being explored as a means of keeping the birthing unit open?

If things do not change immediately, we will lose nurses and a doctor and the birthing unit. This is a very unsavoury label to which the administration and hospital board will be saddled.

It seems they planned on having a public meeting in late November to placate us, but this attempt failed miserably.

They did not heed in the least the needs and concerns of the taxpayers.

Both the administration and the hospital board should do the honourable thing and resign if they do not begin to heed the wishes of the taxpayers.