Holt government repeals ban on funding abortions outside hospitals
CBC
New Brunswick's new Liberal government has eliminated the legal restriction on public funding for procedural abortions outside hospitals.
The cabinet order swept away the decades-old rule — a single sentence in the provincial Regulation 84-20, first put in place to block a Fredericton clinic from offering the service.
Premier Susan Holt was applauded by members of her cabinet and caucus, and dozens of women who fought the restriction for years, as she brandished a copy of the order.
"Our team is proud to take this one small step," she said.
"We believe that abortion is health care and that everyone deserves access to the care that they need, when and where they need it."
Holt acknowledged the crowd of activists invited to her office "who have done the work over the last 40 years, pushing for this constantly, making sure it didn't get forgotten [and] it was always on the radar.
Among them was Judy Burwell, a former manager of the Morgentaler clinic in Fredericton — the facility that led a previous government to adopt the restriction.
"It's a good day for everybody, not just for us, but for all the young people who've been working for abortion services, and working very hard," Burwell said.
Holt said health officials will now work with the New Brunswick Medical Society and the province's two health authorities to work out how physicians to offer the service more widely across the province.
That could include having it in some of the community health clinics the Liberal leader promised in this fall's election.
Holt and Dornan said procedural abortions will be reclassified as minor, not major, surgery, and the government will sort out what fee doctors will be paid for it and what other support they will need.
"That will be starting tomorrow. What we've done today is allow that happen," said Health Minister Dr. John Dornan.
He said several doctors have already expressed an interest.
Holt said the government aims to have those issues sorted out by March 31 next year.
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