AROUND 70 women participated in a lively 24 hour vigil to protest the threatened closure of London's famous Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Womens hospital on July 4/5th.
Under slogans such as Womens health in womens hands' and 'EGA: Alive and Kicking*, women came together to sing, chant and collect hundreds of signatures of the petition opposing the attacks on this unique resource for women, still statfed mainly by women.
Women's groups The vigil, organised at short notice, brought together stalf, users and women from a whole range of women's groups across London.
The threat to the hospital, which if it goes ahead will see the loss of the in-patient service and the sacking of 28 nurses from September, is part of a package of cuts being imposed on the EGA, Middlesex and University College hospital which will see the loss of 125 beds. Trade unionists across the three sites par....s butchers, have oc- -MIC OP ticipated in a successful day of strike action on June 25.
Management are trying to pretend that EGA patients will receive the same service at UCH despite the fact that the transter will be to a smaller and existing ward -meaning an overall loss of 36 gynaecological beds between the sites, as well as the vital principle of women being able to choose to be seen by women carers.
At the Rally, addressed by among others Glenda Jackson MP. Wendy Savage and COHSE shop steward Pat Taylor, there was a clear demand that the hospital be given 'special status' in recognition of the unique services provides to There is a need for national funding both to attempt to prevent facilities being perpetually to tako action to sion a eaven under pressure squeezed by District Health Authority Cuts, and to preserve access for women cutside the Heath Authorty, which would otherwise be unlikely under the Tory market reforms.
Many women commented on the fact that the battle to save the EGA had been a long and hard one since it formed the focus of the first modern hospital work-in' in the mid1970s, and the campaign badge that was current then was revived for this round of protest.
Not a priority More seriously, this represents the fact that women's health needs are even more deprioritised than those of other working people, and that the sort of preventative and curative work done at the EGA. which sees surgery as a last resort, is not understood or valued by most managers or medical practitioners.
The next stage in the campaign willbe a (mixed) lobby of Parliament on July 14 from 2pm-4pm.
For further information about the Campaign to Save the EGA contact Pat Taylor on 071-3872501 ext 228.
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