Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said he would remove abortions from Bill 34 that sets strict standards for private surgical clinics.Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said he would remove abortions from Bill 34 that sets strict standards for private surgical clinics. (CBC)

Quebec Health Minister Yves Bolduc said Tuesday he will remove abortion clinics from a controversial bill that sets strict standards for private surgical clinics.

Bill 34 would have required private abortion clinics to have ventilated operating rooms and surgical clothing for all staff.

On Tuesday, the Quebec College of Physicians said the measures weren't necessary for abortion clinics. Several private clinics had threatened to stop providing the procedure when the province adopted the guidelines this spring.

Bolduc raised a controversy by initially suggesting it was the College of Physicians that wanted abortion clinics included in the bill. But Bolduc said he doesn't think the issue has damaged the relationship between the college and the ministry.

"I think we should always have a good communication and often when things like that happens, we just try to see what can be improved. One of the things [is] we can communicate earlier when we have problems like that," said Bolduc.

He said he never intended to reduce access to abortions, adding that the decision to include abortion clinics in the bill predated him as minister.