While Catholic Health Services and Mid-Island Hospital spokesmen say patients can go to other hospitals if they want services banned by Catholic Health Services, is there any promise patients will know this?

If they are brought in as emergency patients, is there a promise they will be told their end-of-life treatment will follow Catholic doctrine, and if they are concerned, they should ask to be moved immediately to another hospital?

Even a routine operation can go bad, so every patient who enters the hospital is vulnerable. Will every patient be informed that if there is an unexpected catastrophe, their end-of-life treatment will follow Catholic doctrine, and if they are concerned, they should choose another hospital for their surgery?

Is there a promise that every rape victim brought into emergency will be informed that a "morning-after" pill is available, and where to go to get it?

If someone comes in with a problematic pregnancy emergency which she might want to end in an abortion, is there a promise she will be informed early on that if this is a consideration, she should ask to be moved?

Without guarantees that patients know before or immediately on entering the parameters of the hospital, the agreement will be unfair to the community.

Bobbe Schwartz