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Privatization

  • Shift to Private Surgeries will only Worsen Health Care Staffing Challenges

    Expanding the use of for-profit surgical centres in Calgary is making health care short staffing worse while failing to solve the surgical backlog


    EDMONTON - This morning, Minister of Health Jason Copping announced an expanded use of private, for-profit surgical centres in Calgary. Friends of Medicare and others have already spoken out at length about the problems with the government’s Alberta Surgical Initiative and their unfounded claims that privatization will improve surgical wait times.  

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    January 23, 2023

  • Privatization Won’t Solve Alberta’s EMS Crisis

    This morning Health Minister Jason Copping provided an update of their government’s plans for Emergency Medical Services (EMS), including privatization of inter-facility transfers.


    EDMONTON — A year ago, Friends of Medicare warned that the government’s appointment of an EMS advisory panel was laying the groundwork for privatization within our EMS system. Today we were proven right. Rather than spending the last year working to improve EMS and fill the thousands of vacant shifts, the government spent that time lining things up for further privatization through contracting out.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    January 16, 2023

  • Health Coalitions warn health funding without strings is not in the public interest

    Federal health dollars must come with accountability and national standards


    Ottawa, December 16, 2022 - As Canada’s premiers and the federal NDP ramp up the pressure on the Trudeau government, Health Coalitions across Canada are demanding that any increase in public health funding be used in the public interest and not be used to privatize health care.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    December 16, 2022

  • Don’t give Alberta a blank cheque to privatize health care

    EDMONTON — Canada’s Premiers held a joint press conference today demanding more money from the federal government with no performance measures, targets or strings attached.

    Thousands of kids are sick in this province and across Canada, putting unprecedented strain on our hospitals. Yet rather than responding to calls for action from the AMA Pediatrics section, health care workers, advocates, and families here in Alberta, Premier Smith instead joined other Premiers from across the country to ask for more money from the federal government.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    December 09, 2022

  • Today's Lab Privatization Continues to be Bad Deal for Albertans

    EDMONTON -- Today, the majority of Alberta’s community medical laboratory services are being transitioned from being publicly delivered by Alberta Precision Laboratories, to being delivered by DynaLIFE, a for-profit company. This follows the delayed attempt to transition services this past July. Friends of Medicare has been outspoken about the significant issues involved in contracting out our lab services, and other integral parts of our public health care system, every step of the way. 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    December 05, 2022

  • Info-Picket to be held in front of Canadian Blood Services

    EDMONTON — Friends of Medicare and concerned Albertans will be holding an information picket outside of Canadian Blood Services (CBS) in Edmonton at noon today, December 1. This action coincides with events being held outside of CBS locations in Ottawa, ON, Dartmouth, NS and elsewhere.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    December 01, 2022

  • Throne Speech Continues Agenda of Privatization over Albertans’ Health Care Needs

    EDMONTON — This afternoon, Danielle Smith tabled her first Speech from the Throne as Premier. It promises disappointingly little in terms of protecting and improving Alberta’s public health care, continues to push an agenda of privatization, and provides no indication as to how the government plans to repair the damage they have wreaked on Alberta’s public health care system. 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    November 29, 2022

  • Premier Smith Continues Political Games with Alberta’s Health Care

    This afternoon, the Premier announced that she has fired the Alberta Health Services (AHS) board and will be replacing them with a full-time administrator tasked with making further reforms.

    EDMONTON -- As per their mandate, Alberta Health Services is “subject to the direction of, and the resources provided by, the Minister of Health.” Yet, blaming AHS has long served as a convenient means of deflection for the government. 

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    November 17, 2022

  • Ministerial Mandate Letters Will Create More Chaos, Further Undermine Public Health Care

    The mandate letters from Premier Smith to the Ministers of Health, Mental Health and Addiction, and Seniors, Community and Social Services have been released to the public.

    EDMONTON -- The mandate letter to the Minister of Health prioritizes ideological pet projects like the Premier’s promised health spending accounts, and posits restructuring at Alberta Health Services as the solution to our health care challenges. Not addressed are the most urgent issues facing our public health care system: the drastic rise in respiratory illnesses, and the ongoing staffing crisis.

    Alyssa Pretty

    Written by Alyssa Pretty
    November 16, 2022

  • New AB Premier must take urgent action on public health care system in crisis

    Red Deer Emergency Room wait time of 18 hours is the latest of many crises facing our health care system

    Tomorrow the UCP will elect a new leader, and thus a new Premier for Alberta. This is happening at a time when our public health care system is facing a series of overlapping crises, and doctors, health care workers and Albertans have been increasingly vocal on the urgent need for immediate action.

    Friends of Medicare

    Written by Friends of Medicare
    October 05, 2022

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