Funding for abortion clinic denied

Press, 28 April 1984, Page 9

Funding for abortion clinic denied

The Canterbury Hospital Board will not receive special funding for a separate abortion clinic, said the Minister of Health, Mr Malcolm, yesterday. If the Hospital Board decides that the abortion service at Christchurch Women’s Hospital should be shifted to a converted house in the grounds of Coronation Hospital it would have to be paid for from existing funds. This would inevitably mean that another hospital service would be placed lower on the board’s priorities. The equitable funding of hospital boards meant that the days for special funds for specific projects were gone, Mr Malcolm said. At the board’s meeting on Thursday members said that they were tired of

waiting for a decision on the proposal and voted to seek another meeting with the Minister. Mr Malcolm said there was a communication problem between himself and the board as he had given this answer many times. He said it had nothing to do with abortion, it was a matter of hospital funding. The special funds allocated to set up abortion clinics in Wellington and Auckland were before equitable funding of hospital boards was introduced, he said.

Mr Malcolm said he was happy to meet a delegation from the board but was reluctant to encourage people to travel up and down New Zealand to meetings which would not achieve anything.