Government setting the stage for the closure and possible relocation of existing supervised consumption Services
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Government setting the stage for the closure and possible relocation of existing supervised consumption services |
As reported in the media today, Premier Jason Kenney is already setting the stage for what could be the closure or relocation of Supervised Consumption Services (SCS) in Alberta. While the Supervised Consumption Services Review Committee was tasked with reporting to the government by the end of 2019, their report has yet to be publicly released.
Surgical wait time initiative announcements leave Albertans with more questions than answers
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Surgical wait time initiative announcements leave Albertans with more questions than answers |
In a press conference this morning, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced the government’s plan to reduce surgical wait times in Alberta. The minister confirmed that the planning for the surgical initiative was informed by the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative (which ultimately failed to solve wait-time issues in Saskatchewan) but was unable to clarify the lessons that this government is taking from its failure.
Despite the effort with which Minister Shandro tried to mask the true underlying ideology of the initiative – namely privatization – the true intent was clear. What’s worse is that today’s announcement came with no monetary figures, no timelines, and no details. “Just as we’ve seen with previous conservative governments, the minister is once again asking Albertans to accept major changes to their health care system on faith alone, without revealing any of the details as to how this will affect costs or the quality of care to patients,” says Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
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