Canada's leading advocate of accessible abortion services says all Canadian hospitals should operate without religious affiliation in order to guarantee medical services for everyone, particularly women.
“It's not normal that a public institution such as a hospital … denies women services such as abortions because of the hospital's affiliation with a particular religion,” says Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who operates 8 abortion clinics across Canada. “Hospitals should be providing care according to the dictates of the Canadian Medical Association and according to the dictates of good medical practices.”
Morgentaler's comments followed the closure of Toronto's Wellesley Hospital after its merger with St. Michael's, a Catholic facility. “Wellesley Hospital was performing 2000 abortions per year, and people must now go elsewhere for that medical service,” says Morgentaler. “Catholic hospitals are imposing Catholic doctrine on patients. It's unacceptable because many patients are not Catholic, and many Catholic patients do not believe the dogma of the church.”
But his plea for secular services is being made in haste, the president of the Canadian Healthcare Association says. “It's important to remind ourselves that, as Canadians, it was religious groups that started much of health care in our country,” noted Sharon Sholzberg-Gray. “A lot of the institutions that we consider community institutions were paid for, funded and developed by particular religious groups. We can't forget that history.”
The question is one of access, notes Sholzberg-Gray. “If there is access somewhere else in the community, then we don't need to worry about all hospitals providing the [same] service.”
The Catholic Health Association of Canada said it is against the Catholic value system and beliefs for Catholic hospitals to provide abortion services. “Having hospitals with different religious affiliations is an expression of the pluralism in Canadian society,” argues President Richard Haughian. “To [force hospitals to be] secular [would reduce] the expression of that pluralism.”
Haughian says it's up to health jurisdictions to ensure access to medical services. “I don't think it's the responsibility of Catholic hospitals to ensure there is equitable access to medical services, such as abortions. There is a recognition that the Canadian health care system has evolved so hospitals are private in nature but operate on a not-for-profit basis, and Catholic hospitals fit into that framework.” — Louise Gagnon, Ottawa