Surgeries announcement poses more questions than answers
Surgeries announcement poses more questions than answers
Today Health Minister Shandro and Premier Kenney announced a $500 million investment as part of the Alberta Surgical Wait Times Initiative, and earmarked just $100 million of this amount to provide capital funding to upgrade and renovate surgical rooms and equipment and expand surgical capacity within the public system.
“As per the press conference, some of this $400 M will be going to the workforce plan that will see a modest increase in staffing for these additional surgical beds, however no real mention was made as to where the remainder of the funds will be allocated,” says Sandra Azocar Executive Director of Friends of Medicare.
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Budget 2020 flatlines health care funding while cuts and privatization continue
EDMONTON
February 27, 2020
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Budget 2020 flatlines health care funding while cuts and privatization continue |
Today's budget sees a flatlining of the health care budget for 2020, with a spending increase of a mere 0.3% over the next three fiscal years. A minimum of 2.9% additional funding is necessary to keep Alberta's health care spending in line with inflation and population growth each year – the spending freeze through 2023, as outlined in today's budget, will mean fewer public dollars spent in the health care system. In terms of the impact on Albertans, the spending freeze will amount to a 9% reduction in health care spending in the next three years.
"Regardless of the political spin, when a government is not able to provide health care to meet the needs of a growing population, it is a cut," says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare. "As one goes down line by line through Budget 2020, what we're seeing is a decrease in most areas of the health care budget."
