In an emotional display of testimonies, the people of Belhaven, along with the town’s council, met in an open forum Tuesday night to discuss reasons to keep Vidant Pungo hospital open, as well as ways to save the hospital. Rev. William Barber, president of the NC NAACP, also spoke further on the complaint filed by the organization against Vidant Health.

Several individuals gave accounts of being treated at the hospital and Dr. Charles Boyette, former Belhaven mayor, gave his stance with regard to his long-time service as a healthcare professional and mayor, stating that the Belhaven area must have emergency healthcare facilities.

According to Boyette, the area is medically underserved and economically deprived, and the closing will result in the loss of over 100 jobs and a loss of $400,000 worth of utilities to the town. Boyette also said the proposed clinic by Vidant would be worth $4.2 million, significantly less than the value of the current hospital — $9.6 million.

“We can do better, and the generation before us did better,” Boyette said, adding that he thought the closing would render the area with less services than 65 years ago, when the hospital opened.

Barber spoke further on the NC NAACP’s complaint that was filed with the office of civil rights. He has urged the office to get involved, push their authority, and to conduct an investigation pertaining to whether or not Vidant is being discriminatory in closing the hospital. According to Barber, this would halt any closing of the medical facility until such an investigation had been conducted.

Vidant officials plan to close the hospital on April 1, and replace it with a 24-hour, multi-specialty clinic, which has prompted the NC NAACP to file a complaint citing discrimination, and town officials and other concerned citizens to try to find ways to keep the hospital open.