Alberta NDP Health Critic David Shepherd and Status of Women Critic Janis Irwin issued these statements following news that the maternity clinic inside the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital officially closed today, July 15th:

"This is an unprecedented loss for the community of Medicine Hat and all of southeastern Alberta. Tyler Shandro promised he would find a way to protect these services and he failed, just like he has failed to protect services in countless other rural communities. The UCP continues to undermine access to care by waging a war on doctors and threatening nurses in the middle of a global pandemic. This clinic has been open for 17 years, delivering half the babies in Medicine Hat. Expectant parents in Alberta deserve stable services in their hospital and their maternity clinic but instead, Jason Kenney is closing clinics. It's beyond the pale."

• David Shepherd, NDP Critic for Health, MLA for Edmonton-Centre

"Shutting down one of the most important services for women and families having babies in southeastern Alberta is simply unconscionable. These families will now have to search longer and travel further for maternity care, all because Jason Kenney doesn't think they are worth it. This is a massive blow to women’s health from a UCP government that never once considers the impact of their decisions on women. If women don’t have the health care they need in their community, it puts their lives, their health, and their safety at risk. The UCP should be ashamed of themselves."

• Janis Irwin, NDP Critic for Women and LGBTQ2S+ Issues, MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood