By Carol Aun

Mission Record

Residents in Mission and surrounding communities must continue to fight to protect their health care and prevent the B.C. Liberals and and the Fraser Health Authority from reducing services at Mission Memorial Hospital, said Adrian Dix, NDP health critic, in a press conference outside the hospital Monday afternoon.

Dix and deputy health critic Sue Hammell, who was also present, charge the Campbell government is continuing on its path to cut the emergency room at MMH and the diabetic centre.

This is symbolic of what's happening in B.C., Dix continued. "Prior to the election campaign (the Liberals) said clearly there would be no cuts and the health authorities are not running a deficit. But days after the election, we find that's not true."

Fraser Health is running a significant deficit and about a month ago we found out service cuts are being considered, he added.

When Mission council met with two Liberal MLAs and the health authority, the community was told they would have urgent care, which is a downgrade from emergency care, said Dix.

According to the health critic, eliminating the ER would also take away other services that are needed to operate an ER. Without an emergency room, Mission's hospital would be an urgent care centre, and most of them don't operate 24/7, Dix noted.

"Downgrading (MMH) would be catastrophic for the region ... This is a key fight in health care in B.C."

Cutting services at MMH will significantly impact Abbotsford as well, added Hammell.

Cutting the emergency ward at this time when Mission is growing, seems very short sighted, she said.

These decisions should not be made between the senior executives of the health authority and the provincial government, said Dix, who wants the public to be consulted as well.

"If they're allow to get away with this, they will be back here again and again."

And Mission has already lost enough, he continued as he pointed to the reduced number of acute care beds and the maternity ward.

"No cuts have ever been restored in a hospital."

Both Dix and Hammell encourage residents to continue with the rallies, and continue making noise on the issue.

Abbotsford-Mission MLA Randy Hawes told The Record there are no plans to close the ER, and reiterated the health authority is going through a planning exercise where every option is put on the table.

"No decisions have been made; all this is very premature," said Hawes, accusing Dix and the NDP of playing politics. "It's in his best interest to stir it up as best he can."

Hawes says he has spoken with Health Minister Kevin Falcon and FHA CEO Nigel Murray, and even the premier has been engaged in some discussions about the hospital.

"I have a letter from Nigel Murray that says this it a planning exercise. It lays out options, not plans," said Hawes.

Beating a drum on the sidewalk is not the way he can be effective, the MLA added.

"Of course I would fight for services [at MMH] ... You can count on a great deal of lobbying to make sure this is nothing more than an option."