March 2014
She came to Canada on a work permit, legally issued. She worked as a domestic. After several years the job dried up.
She tried to find new work. She could not. She lost her healthcare in Ontario. She met her current partner in Canada. They became pregnant.
In her home country, she had two C sections. She needed a C- section again. A vaginal delivery this time would endanger her life.
The community Hospital in Toronto refused to book her C-section. She did not have the money to pre-pay up front for the Operating Room. The hospital refused a payment plan. This was not an elective C section. It was a medically necessary one to be done before she entered labour. If she went into labour her life would be at risk from a uterine rupture during a vaginal birth.
Despite this known risk to her life, she was denied the C section by the hospital. She went into labour. She came in through the ER. She was rushed to OR where she underwent an emergency C section.
Is this possible in Canada? Can hospitals refuse life saving medical care? Would the refusal to provide such medically necessary care because of inability pay in full, up front, be considered an assault, or extortion?