Women Face Long Wait Times for Abortion Care in Ottawa
Yesterday the Ottawa Citizen ran an article about the long wait times many women face when seeking abortion care in Ottawa.
The average wait for abortion in Canada is an estimated two weeks…and in
Toronto, a woman can usually have the procedure within about eight days. The
average wait time in Ottawa is generally at least four weeks.
In Ottawa, abortion care is provided at an independent clinic two days a week and the Ottawa Hospital one day each week. Abortion access is especially limited during the summer as the Ottawa Hospital closes down and does not provide abortion care the entire month of August. Surgical abortion is one of the safest types of medical procedures, and the earlier an abortion is provided the less complicated and safer it is. Therefore, it is important that women who decide to get abortions can do so without unnecessary delays.
Today, party leaders responded to the story. Premier Dalton McGuinty said increased hospital funding will eventually provide easier access to abortion.
Although access to health services is guaranteed by the Canada Health Act, access to abortion care continues to be a problem for many Canadian women.