Three rings. Then, “Hello, bonjour, N.B. abortion line.”
That’s what it sounds like when you call New Brunswick’s new toll-free self-referral line for abortion services.
The woman on the other end, based out of the Moncton Hospital, explained how the line and access options work and answered questions.
“If you want to have an abortion, just you can just self-refer with some information … you need to have a Medicare card valid. If not, you will need to pay. And then depending where you live, we’ll find the closest place,” she said when asked how the process works.
Often when CBC News is calling for a story, the journalist will identify themselves and advise whether they’re recording the conversion. In this case, CBC News withheld that information in order to try the new service under conditions any member of the public may experience.
The line is staffed from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. between Monday and Friday. But callers can dial 1-844-806-9205 and leave a voicemail any time and get a call back within 48 hours.
WATCH | What happens when you call New Brunswick’s abortion access line?
New Brunswick launches abortion access self-referral phone line
The line is modelled after a similar one in Nova Scotia, says advocate Martha Paynter.
CBC News called the line twice, receiving the message machine the first time before connecting with the attendant on the second try.
This story was brought to Nouzie by RSS. The original post can be found on https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/launch-self-referral-abortion-line-9.7141542?cmp=rss
