EDMONTON — A new report commissioned by Friends of Medicare from the Parkland Institute and authored by Rebecca Graff-McRae titled, Access Denied: How the Changing Accessibility of Health Care Services in Alberta Impacts Equity, highlights how reduced capacity and decreased access have resulted in unmet health care needs for Albertans. The report examines these challenges across acute care, primary care, continuing care, as well as mental health and addictions.
“Multiple overlapping crises have left Alberta’s health care in a perfect storm, and in need of urgent government action to stabilize our health care workforce—something sorely lacking in last month’s provincial budget,” said Chris Gallaway executive director of Friends of Medicare. “Funding isn’t keeping up with population growth plus inflation, while doctors, nurses and other allied health care professionals are looking to leave the system, yet we still have no meaningful retention or recruitment strategy to address this very real challenge.”
A lack of investment is leading to more Albertans without a family physician, and resulting in longer wait times for Emergency Rooms, surgeries, cancer care and more. But rather than address these persistent issues, the government has continued their push for widespread restructuring, while plowing ahead with their agenda of privatization in our health care. The report shows that major changes are being imposed without any evidence that the government’s decisions will save money, improve access, or deliver better care to Albertans.
“It should be no surprise that as we prioritize profit in our health care system, access to care decreases and inequity increases. And we know that these issues are compounded for folks in rural and remote communities, Indigenous peoples, lower income Albertans, and other already underserved communities,” said Gallaway. “We can rebuild our public health care to ensure equity and accessibility, but we need our government to start putting patients ahead of profits and to get serious about a health care capacity and workforce plan.”
The report makes clear that privatized delivery is not the solution, and in fact is costing us more while exacerbating existing pressures on our system. The report concludes: “Alberta’s government faces a stark choice: continue doubling down on profit-driven strategies that reduce Albertans’ access to timely, quality health care; or apply political will and public investment into proven strategies in the public system to ensure every Albertan has equitable access to the care they need and deserve.”
Learn more about Friends of Medicare’s campaign to stop the destructive of our public health care and how we can rebuild the system to meet the needs of all Albertans: RebuildOurHealthcare.ca
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