EDMONTON — As we head into mid-July, Alberta now has higher measles cases per capita than anywhere else in North America. Dozens of emergency rooms and health care facilities are experiencing closures due to chronic short staffing, while the government’s restructuring and privatization agenda continues to create chaos for health care workers and patients.

EDMONTON — Yesterday, an important new report was released by the Parkland Institute entitled, “Undervalued and Overstretched: Inequity, Discrimination, and the Crisis Facing Alberta’s Allied Health-Care Workforce.” It outlines the conditions driving widespread burnout and retention issues among Alberta’s health care workers.

EDMONTON — This afternoon, Premier Danielle Smith announced that her government would be ‘decentralizing health care decision-making.’ The new structure will require individual hospitals to hold responsibility for decisions around staff, resources and services, rather than Alberta Health Services. 

Late this afternoon, the Alberta government announced a new COVID vaccine strategy that includes restrictions on who has access, a new pre-ordering system and a shift to charging Albertans directly out of pocket for their vaccinations.

EDMONTON — Yesterday, the Alberta government quietly changed the maximum prescription drug co-payment for Alberta seniors, without so much as a formal announcement. Seniors currently pay up to $25 per prescription, which is set to increase by a dollar each month to a maximum of $35 per prescription by April 1, 2026.

This Letter to the Editor was originally published in the Medicine Hat News on June 5, 2025.

Dear editor,

As the UCP government in Alberta seems to be making it easier for private health care to grab a foothold in Alberta, we at Palliser Friends of Medicare feel we should remind people that public health care better serves the public and is a more cost-effective way to run a provincial health-care system.

LETHBRIDGE — A new report commissioned by Friends of Medicare from the Parkland Institute and authored by Salimah Valiani titled, “Public Funds for Private Profit: The Evolution of Health Care Privatization in Alberta” was released publicly today, outlining the systematic privatization efforts of Alberta’s health care system by successive provincial governments since the 1990s.

EDMONTON — Alberta has now recorded 710 confirmed measles cases, making this the worst year for measles since 1986, with no signs of slowing down. 75 percent of these cases have been in children under 18 years old.

EDMONTON — This past Friday, the Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration released a statement informing Albertans that the interim report of Judge Wyant’s third-party investigation into Alberta’s health care procurement and contracting processes has been delayed until September 24, and that we will not see the final report until October. The interim report was previously due on May 30, with the final report to be delivered on June 30.

EDMONTON — It has been three weeks since the Health Minister and the interim Chief Medical Officer of Health held a press conference to update Albertans on measles and the government’s planned response to a growing number of cases.