Re: "Would they really do nothing?" [July 27]. A concern has been conveyed to Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre (VHHSC), through the Canadian Bar Association, regarding a potential misunderstanding of the answer provided to you in paragraph one of the July 8, 1998, Response to BC Report RE: Renaerts." from the nature of the legal opinion you apparently sought, it is clear that clarification is required in order for you and your readers to be correctly informed.

Abortions are not performed at VHHSC in circumstances where the fetus might be viable and, therefore, the question of live birth of babies following an attempted abortion simply does not arise. In fact, there has never been another case at VHHSC, either before or after the birth of Ximena Renaerts, where a viable fetus was born following an attempted abortion.

The events surrounding the birth of Ximena Renaerts were extraordinary. They did not relate to an attempted abortion at VHHSC, but rather to a patient who presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain several days after a reported abortion at a Bellingham clinic. The information provided was that the fetus was of a non-viable age at the time of the abortion in Bellingham. Had it been understood that the situation involved a fetus of nearly seven months gestation, and that, notwithstanding the previous abortion attempt, the fetus might still be viable, then the patient would have been referred immediately to the closest appropriate obstetric hospital.

Since this case, the hospital's policies and procedures have been reviewed to ensure this situation could not happen again at VHHSC. In the extremely unlikely event of a previously undiagnosed viable pregnancy, even following an attempted abortion at another centre, immediate transfer to the closest appropriate obstetrical facility will be undertaken. In the event that delivery was to occur at VHHSC, it is our policy to resuscitate, regardless of antecedent history.

VHHSC is well aware of the laws regarding the protection of children, and appropriate policies are in place for situations involving "children in need of protection," including situations where a parent or guardian may not consent to the necessary treatment.

We do not wish to engage in further debate on this case, but we did wish to provide the above clarification.

Murray T. Martin
President & CEO, Vancouver Hospital
Vancouver