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"Get Real about This" Obstetrician Says Nuns Won’t Be Able to Stop Lawful Abortion or Contraceptive Treatment at New National Maternity Hospital

By Ed Carty
Irish Sun
April 20, 2017

https://www.thesun.ie/news/888738/top-obstetrician-says-nuns-will-not-be-able-to-stop-lawful-abortion-or-contraceptive-treatment-at-new-national-maternity-hospital/

ONE of the country’s most respected consultant obstetricians has said nuns will not be able to stop lawful abortion or contraceptive treatment in the new National Maternity Hospital.

A deal with the Sisters of Charity proposes the new ˆ300million facility will be built on the St Vincent’s Hospital campus in south Dublin, which the religious order owns.

Dr Rhona Mahony is the new Master at Holles Street National Maternity Hospital

Amid furore over nuns potentially determining clinical care at the hospital, Dr Rhona Mahony, Master of the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street, said medical care at the new hospital will be entirely independent.

“Can we get real about this,” the leading consultant said.

Ms Mahony said contraceptive treatment or abortions when a woman’s life is at risk will be carried out at the new campus when it opens in about four or five years time.

“At the moment in Holles Street we provide services to women. This includes contraception. We have about five terminations a year, otherwise women would die. This will continue in the new hospital

“The clinical independence is absolutely copper-fastened.”

Dr Rhona Mahony

It has been reported that the Sisters of Charity will be the sole owner of a new company, the National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park DAC, while the identity and ethos of the current National Maternity Hospital will be retained.

The proposal to give the Sisters of Charity ultimate ownership of a 300 million euro public hospital also provoked anger as the congregation has yet to pay three million euro of redress for victims of institutional child abuse.

Health Minister Simon Harris insisted during the week that the new National Maternity Hospital will have “full clinical, operational, financial and budgetary independence, free of any religious or ethnic influence”.

The minister said “reserved powers” have been set out in the agreement to guarantee independence. The Minister for Health will also hold a “golden share” to copper-fasten the governance structure.

 

 

 

 

 




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