TDHThe birth of a child is supposed to be a special thing, but for an Alberta woman visiting Timmins, it’s also attached to a new controversy in Canada.

Amy Savill was forced to take an air ambulance to Sudbury to safely have her baby because Timmins hospital was not equipped to deal with premature births. The cost of the potentially life-saving flight will potentially reach $30,000.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE (OCHU) says the focus of the Ontario government should be on this case and the conditions causing the problem in the first place.

“Ontario has been aggressively downsizing and centralizing obstetric services and the impact of this is most acutely felt in northern Ontario,” says OCHU President Michael Hurley.

“Medical staff at the Timmins and District Hospital, advised Amy Savill to fly to Sudbury because they were unable to care for her safely there. The government’s hospital cuts have done serious damage to the accessibility of hospital services in Ontario, and the Wynne government needs start repairing that damage rather than focus on federal politics.”

“No Canadian, including Ms. Savill, should be forced to personally bear the cost of a deliberate policy of centralization of birthing services.”

TDH spokeswoman Quinn Thomson says they can’t comment on the specific case, as it goes against privacy legislation, but released this statement.

According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, childbirth is the leading cause of hospitalization in Ontario, and nearly 1 in 10 babies are born prematurely.

“How can a wealthy province like Ontario not have the capacity to ensure the safe delivery of every baby born in a major community?” asks

“It is clear that Ms. Savill’s case has lifted the curtain on a serious – and growing – problem. Hundreds of moms and their families are being forced to travel and to pay hotel and other costs just to have a baby safely.”

According to a website raising money for Savill, “the Ontario government and the Alberta Health Services will not be covering the hospital-to-hospital flight estimated to cost Savill between $10, 000 – $30,000, and any further medical transportation to return home because she is out-of-province.”

Although the flight alone could be around $30,000, the total medical bill for her stay and to get home could cost an upwards of $75,000.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the site has raised close to  $18,000.  You can donate HERE.