November 26, 2020
EDMONTON

Government disregard for health care officials leaves Albertans at risk

Today’s story in the CBC reveals that the government has opted to follow political ideology rather than best medical advice when shaping Alberta’s COVID-19 response. According to secret audio recordings of several planning meetings of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) leaked to the CBC, the expert advice of Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, has been repeatedly undermined by the UCP government.

“The CMOH has a duty to make recommendations to ensure the best possible health and safety of Albertans. Never has this position, and the expert medical advice of the officer, been so necessary and so valuable,” says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. “And yet we see our top elected officials, the Premier and the Minister of Health, playing politics with her desperately needed advice, and putting Albertans lives in jeopardy. It’s shameful.”

Albertans are suffering a deadly and worsening pandemic. They deserve a government response that is based on the best possible scientific evidence, and transparency when it comes to the political decisions being made to impact the health and safety of themselves and their loved ones. 

Access to the CMOH’s recommendations must be made available to Albertans when it comes to past and future actions in response to COVID-19. Today Friends of Medicare reiterates our calls to make the Chief Medical Officer of Health an independent officer of the legislature so that the people of this province can be assured that decisions are being made in the best interests of Albertans, rather than to advance a political agenda.