(posted on behalf of INFACT Canada
Janice Reynolds)

November 4, 2005

As reported in a previous INFACT Canada mailing, North York General Hospital, one of Toronto's largest health facilities, is closing its breastfeeding clinic.  

Please show your support for the clinic by signing our Petition which will be sent to George Smitherman, Minister of Health and Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO of NYGH.  Kindly forward this petition on to your network.

http://www.infactcanada.ca/NYGH_Breastfeeding_Clinic_Closure_Petition.htm

Also please forward any personal stories, testimonials and letters of support for the clinic to (including copies that may have already been written and sent): [log in to unmask]

For years, the clinic has been run by Canada's pre-eminent breastfeeding expert, Dr. Jack Newman, with Dr. Glen Berall and Toronto Lactation Consultant Edith Kernerman.  This clinic is very important because in addition to the dozens of breastfeeding mothers it helps every week, it also hosts many volunteers and observers, such as medical students, doctors, and aspiring lactation consultants.  In this way, the clinic has helped to spread proper breastfeeding practices through not only North York, but the wider medical community as well. 

The administration at the hospital says it has decided to eliminate the clinic because space is at a premium and they cannot afford to house any program that does not directly involve hospital staff.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to see how this decision will not have an adverse effect on the health of the mothers and infants in the Greater Toronto Area, and thus violate the mandate of this public health facility.  The closure is all the more distressing because there are now rumours that similar clinics around the Toronto area will also be shut down. 

             ***********************************************

To temporarily stop your subscription: set lactnet nomail
To start it again: set lactnet mail (or digest)
To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
All commands go to [log in to unmask]

The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(R)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html