Doctors in the neuroscience department at The Moncton Hospital say they are providing services for patients in both official languages and there is no need for a separate department to treat francophone patients.

Dr. Dhany Charest, division chief of neurosurgery and also a francophone, said about 50 per cent of his department's patients are francophone.

He said services have been available in either language since at least the mid-1980s.

"It's not unusual that in the [operating room] we'll have three French speaking nurses, the anaesthesiologist will be French speaking, and we're having the conversation in French through an entire case or an entire day," said Charest. "So the label the 'English hospital' I think is past us."

Charest said of the six neurosurgeons at The Moncton Hospital, five are francophone or fully bilingual.

His comments come after Dr. Hubert Dupuis, president of the Committee for Equality of Heath in French, said health services aren't equal for francophones and anglophones in New Brunswick.

Dupuis argues that francophones need a neurosurgery unit of their own.

Charest disagrees and said since he arrived at the hospital in 2001, he has seen dramatic improvements in bilingual services.

"Personally, I certainly would feel it would be sad that one of my uncles from Sainte-Quentin or Edmundston couldn't be served in the language of his choice here in Moncton — period," he said. "And I truly believe that francophone neurosurgery is not only a dream -- but it's now a reality."