EDMONTON — CBC news reported this morning that they have obtained a letter sent by surgical hospitalists in Edmonton to Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister, Adriana LaGrange, and Hospital and Surgical Health Services Minister, Matt Jones, warning that Albertans could begin seeing surgical cancellations and other impacts to patient care as a result of the Alberta government’s decision to terminate the hospitalists’ contract at the end of this month.
CBC shared that the letter states that: “Come April 1, in the absence of a contract or reasonable alternative, the majority of surgical hospitalists do not intend — and under the terms of their existing agreements are not permitted — to continue working.”
“The fact Albertans could be experiencing surgery cancellations in the coming weeks should be deeply alarming and necessitate urgent action from the provincial government,” said Chris Gallaway executive director of Friends of Medicare. “But the lack of action to keep public operating rooms open should be no surprise, given the government’s ongoing attack on public hospitals in favour of private, for-profit surgical centres.”
This news follows a series of previous government budgets and announcements that served to undermine our public hospitals, such as a new Activity-Based Funding model for acute care, a refusal to invest in reopening the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s shuttered operating rooms, and last year’s passing of Bill 55, which opens the doors for private hospital operators in Alberta.
“Last month’s budget added $525 million to the Alberta Surgical Initiative to fund more private surgeries in for-profit surgical centres," said Gallaway. "Yet the government has refused proposals that would have cost just a tiny fraction of that to end the 20 month long surgical disruption in Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital. They’re allowing operating rooms in public hospitals all across our province to sit empty every single day and allowing Albertans to suffer on wait lists because they are prioritizing corporate profits over ensuring we have sufficient public staffing.”
"Rather than listen to the evidence and frontline workforce, the government is making a political choice that is not in the best interests of Albertans receiving the surgeries that they need when they need them,” concluded Gallaway.
Friends of Medicare encourages Albertans to visit handsoffourhospitals.ca to learn more about the government’s ongoing attacks on our public hospitals and to take action to protect them.
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