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Alberta Budget 2021

February 25, 2021 5:04 PM

EDMONTON
February 25, 2021

Budget 2021 is a disingenuous attempt to cover the privatization of our health care

Just as Budget 2020 was pushed through with unrealistic forecasts for oil prices and subsequent unfeasible estimations for government revenue, Budget 2021 is being presented under the pretense of unrealistic forecasts for the health needs of Albertans. Quite simply, Budget 2021 is a cruel blow to our public health care system in favor of privatization.

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APWG: Bill C-213 important step towards a long-awaited national, universal Pharmacare

February 23, 2021 11:32 AM

February 23, 2021

Bill C-213 important step towards long-awaited national, universal Pharmacare

EDMONTON - The Alberta Pharmacare Working Group (APWG) is encouraged by the tabling and subsequent debate of Bill C-213, An Act to Enact the Canada Pharmacare Act. If passed, this private member’s bill would create a framework for the implementation of a national pharmacare program modeled after the Canada Health Act, founded on the principles of public administration, comprehensiveness, universality, portability and accessibility. The Bill comes before the House of Commons in an historic vote tomorrow, February 24, 2021.
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Wage top-up signals calm before the storm for Alberta's essential workers

February 10, 2021 2:39 PM

February 10, 2021
EDMONTON

Wage top-up signals calm before the storm for Alberta's essential workers

Friends of Medicare were relieved to learn today that the dedicated health care staff and essential workers of this province will finally be receiving wage top-ups after many months of waiting. During a press conference this afternoon, Premier Kenney and Minister of Labour Jason Copping announced that under Alberta’s Critical Worker Benefit 380,000 workers in both the public and private sector will receive a one-time top-up payment of $1200.

“While Albertans continue to contend with the uncertainty of this pandemic, between the government's vaccine rollout and their decision to reopen bars and restaurants while we’re seeing unpredictable new variants, this is certainly great news for our vital workers, though considerably overdue,” says Sandra Azocar, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare.

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Residents & families can rest easy that homes for Albertans with disabilities will not be privatized

January 29, 2021 2:18 PM

January 29, 2021
EDMONTON

Residents & families can rest easy that homes for Albertans with disabilities will not be privatized

After many months of waiting, Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Community and Social Services, announced today that the Alberta government will maintain the current service model for residential and personal care facilities for people with disabilities in Edmonton and Calgary.  Albertans who have called these Direct Operations sites their homes for years or decades will be able to remain there under public operation.

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Health Coalitions call for Federal Leadership to Defend Public Health Care

January 25, 2021 7:00 AM

Media Release
For Immediate Release
January 25, 2021

 

Health Coalitions call for Federal Leadership to Defend Public Health Care

(Edmonton) Seven health coalitions, representing concerned Canadians from PEI to British Columbia, are calling for stronger federal action on health care ahead of Monday’s opening of Parliament.

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Albertans have lost trust in the government's travelling circus

January 04, 2021 3:03 PM

Albertans have lost trust in the government's travelling circus
 
Albertans have suffered and sacrificed greatly in the past several months, not least of all by cancelling holiday plans with friends and family as per government mandated public health restrictions. But we have done so with the understanding that these sacrifices were necessary to curb Alberta’s extraordinary COVID-19 numbers, which have surged massively over the past few months under the UCP government’s reluctance to implement the restrictions necessary to limit the spread. Worse still, as of December 29, our provincial COVID-19 death toll has tragically reached 1,046, according to the latest available data.
 
But while Albertans have been tasked by the Premier with personal responsibility in lieu of adequate and timely public health restrictions, and while our health care workers continue to risk the safety of their families and themselves in order to save the lives of Albertans, a number of UCP MLAs and government staffers opted to ignore their own government’s recommendations and vacation abroad. Among those who were travelling was Tracy Allard, MLA for Grande Prairie and Minister of Municipal Affairs, who opted to spend her holiday in Hawaii. Importantly, Allard was the vice-chair of the Emergency Management Cabinet Committee, tasked with overseeing the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination throughout the province.
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Health Coalitions Call for Increased Federal Health Care Funding and Accountability

December 10, 2020 9:18 AM

Health Coalitions Call for Increased Federal Health Care Funding and Accountability

Ottawa, December 10, 2020- On December 10, Canada’s premiers are meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to request an increase to federal funding for health care. Health coalitions from across the country support the call for a long-term increase to the Canada Health Transfer (CHT). This funding must be accompanied by a robust accountability framework to ensure that provinces and territories invest this money in public health care and uphold the Canada Health Act.
 
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Alberta's seniors deserve accountability from government & continuing care operators

November 27, 2020 1:09 PM

November 27, 2020
EDMONTON

Alberta's seniors deserve accountability from government & continuing care operators

The Alberta government’s most recent announcement of new COVID-19 restrictions did little to promote the protection of seniors who reside in Alberta’s continuing care system. We heard nothing by way of a staffing plan to ensure that seniors receive much-needed care, or to address the shortages that will continue to be exacerbated by limitations set on families’ visitation.

During Wednesday’s daily COVID-19 update, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, announced that Alberta Health Services would be looking to move existing patients out of acute care and into continuing care facilities in order to make room for COVID-19 patients and the additional ICU beds they are anticipated to require. Alberta Health, AHS, and the province’s continuing care operators will be working together to expand the availability of beds. Dr. Hinshaw says AHS will make more than 2,000 acute care beds and up to 400 ICU beds available for COVID-19 patients as needed.

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Government disregard for health care officials leaves Albertans at risk

November 26, 2020 2:15 PM

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.

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Today’s new COVID-19 restrictions continue to fail Albertans

November 24, 2020 7:37 PM

November 24, 2020
EDMONTON

Today’s new COVID-19 restrictions continue to fail Albertans

As per today’s government mandated restrictions and declaration of a state of public health emergency, Alberta has become a place where family members are not allowed to visit one another, but individuals and households can continue to go to casinos, bars or restaurants. Alberta has become the last province to enact a mask mandate, but it only pertains to indoor workplaces, and only in Edmonton, Calgary and surrounding areas.

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