The town of Gander has come out swinging after Grand Falls-Windsor announced their support for a Health Accord recommendation to have one site for obstetrical services, located at the Central Newfoundland Regional Health Centre.

The town says the stance of Grand Falls-Windsor “ignores geographic and population distribution realities” and obstetrical services must remain in place in both the hospitals in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor.

They say the hospital in Gander is “perfectly centered” between those in St. John’s and Corner Brook, over 67 per cent of the regional population lives within 100 km of it, and they can also easily access air ambulance services.

The town is also correcting what they call “partial and misleading data” given by Grand Falls-Windsor, which states that 60 per cent of births happen in their part of the region. Gander says that stat is because of Gander being on diversion throughout recent years in order to help the GFW location.

Gander says service delivery decisions should not be based on solely on current staff and where they reside, and they level some heavy criticism against Central Health in their argument.

Mayor Percy Farwell states there’s no record of diversion or interruption of Obstetrical services in Gander until 2008, three years after the central east and west health boards were merged into one, and headquartered in GFW.

They allege that Central Health’s recruitment practices and organizational behavior have included bullying and harassment of Gander-based workers, and that may provide insight into the challenges in Gander since amalgamation. He notes those issues were referenced in a previous independent review of that Health Authority.

The town worries about the safety of women and babies who would have to travel long distances to access a birthing place, such as New-Wes-Valley residents who would have to drive up to three hours in winter weather, and “firmly believes lives will be lost if the recommendation is accepted.”