BATON ROUGE - The NAACP is opposing the creation of an official health district in South Baton Rouge.

The local chapter of the organization says tax dollars should be invested in other areas of East Baton Rouge Parish instead. The proposed official health district would span the area of Essen, Bluebonnet, Perkins and I-10 where health care services have gravitated over the years.

The NAACP sent a letter out Wednesday morning ahead of a Metro Council meeting saying they're not allowing the establishment of the health district to happen without putting up a fight. While the potential health district was certainly a topic on tap for discussion, the meeting quickly took on a more controversial turn.

Whiel the NAACP says the idea of creating a health district doesn't present a problem, as long as it doesn't require any of "your" money. Their Wednesday morning missive highlights other areas of the parish, beside the proposed site of the health district, that are in desperate need of health care funds and infrastructure. The organization highlights the closure of the Emergency Room of Baton Rouge General MidCity in 2015 and the controversial shuttering of Early K. Long Hospital.

The NAACP says services are being put out of the reach of people in North Baton Rouge, for example. The organization points out that someone trying to get to Essen Lane or Bluebonnet during rush hour from the northern reaches of the city could very well be in for a long ride.

You can read the entire letter from the NAACP by clicking here.

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