EDMONTON — SMG Medical Complex is a proposal to build a massive, 14-storey, private, for-profit health care facility in Fort McMurray. This contentious project has doubled in size from its initial proposal, and now promises to provide numerous services including chartered surgeries, ambulatory care, and “luxurious accommodations." They have launched a website seeking investors where they promise eight to 10 percent returns on investments, plus further opportunities for profits from “those willing to pay out of pocket.”
“This is a very concerning proposal. Any facility that would allow folks to pay directly out of pocket to access care is a two tier health care system that should not be allowed to happen,” said Chris Gallaway executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Building a large private facility will not improve access to public health care in the region. If anything, it will pull staff out of our existing regional health centre, making ongoing staffing challenges in the north even greater."
The project has public letters of support from three sitting UCP MLAs: Brian Jean, Cabinet Minister and MLA for Fort-McMurray-Lac La Biche, Tany Yao, MLA for Fort-McMurray Wood Buffalo, and Martin Long, the government's Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. These letters are shared on the project’s website along with the Legislative Assembly of Alberta logo, and are written on their MLA letterheads.
“Why are a government Minister, MLAs and the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health writing letters of support for a private, for-profit health care facility seeking investors? Especially a facility that’s talking about charging patients out of pocket for their health care, a clear violation of the Canada Health Act.” said Gallaway. “Is this a project the government is intending to support with public dollars? Why aren’t these government members focused on addressing the staffing and capacity needs at the Northern Lights Regional Health Centre and ensuring it is able to provide the services needed in the community?”
Sultan Zamman lists himself as the President/Owner of the proposed SMG Medical Complex on his LinkedIn, and is the founder of SMG Builders, the company proposing this project. Sultan Zamman also has a history of being a donor to the UCP as per the Elections Alberta donor database, and as recently as April 2023 was serving as the Vice-President of Fundraising for the Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo UCP Constituency Association. Just last month, he posted a photo with the Premier on his social media supporting her at the recent leadership review in Red Deer, and has previously posted photos with Health Minister Adrianna LaGrange and other UCP politicians.
“The fact an individual who seems closely tied to the governing party is now proposing a private, for-profit health care facility and has secured multiple endorsements from elected members of the government is very concerning,” said Gallaway. “The government needs to answer what their intentions are in terms of supporting this project, whether they plan to use public health care dollars to support it, and why so many of their elected members are lining up behind this project without this pertinent information being made publicly available.”
-30-