Nationalize Religious Hospitals!

(Letter)

13 March 2012

To Workers Vanguard,

Relevant to the issues raised by “Obama Panders to Religious Reaction” (Workers Vanguard No. 997, 2 March) is the role of clerical-run hospitals, which are largely Catholic. A 28 February New York Times editorial “Women’s Health Care at Risk” warned:

“A wave of mergers between Roman Catholic and secular hospitals is threatening to deprive women in many areas of the country of ready access to important reproductive services. Catholic hospitals that merge or form partnerships with secular hospitals often try to impose religious restrictions against abortions, contraception and sterilization on the whole system. This can put an unacceptable burden on women, especially low-income women and those who live in smaller communities where there are fewer health care options.”

It continues:

“The nation’s 600 Catholic hospitals are an important part of the health care system. They treat one-sixth of all hospital patients, and are sometimes the only hospital in a small community.”

The editorial notes that struggling secular hospitals are forced to merge with financially stronger institutions which are often Catholic, where Church doctrine dominates the outcome. “By one estimate, 20 mergers between Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals have been announced over the past three years,” the editorial reports, “and more can be expected.”

Separation of church and state means keeping religion out of the schools; it should also mean keeping religion out of the hospitals. As part of our demand for “Free, quality, integrated public education for all!” we call for nationalizing the private universities. Likewise, as part of our demand for free, quality health care for all, including birth control and abortion, we should raise the call:

Nationalize the private and religious hospitals!

Comradely, Reuben S.