Lethbridge Herald, letter to the editor
September 26, 2009
It’s time to wake up and pay attention. Right here in Alberta, our public health system is being destroyed … ruthlessly and rapidly. Ed Stelmach’s government together with Stephen Duckett, CEO of the Alberta Health Services have crossed the line. Ailing seniors and hundreds of mental health patients are being moved out of hospitals to facilities constructed and managed (for profit) by the private sector. Superficially, the rationale for these moves sounds reasonable. They will free up hundreds of acute care beds improving wait times and pressure on emergency departments. However, these sorely needed acute care beds will remain empty since Mr. Duckett has decided we have too many nurses, and we have hundreds of patients who will be happier in the ‘community’, paying for many of their costs out of their own pockets. Euphemistically, these changes are being touted as giving patients more ‘choice’, ‘aging-in-place’ etc. In reality elderly, frail individuals, and the mentally ill – these are the vulnerable people who are being moved into privately operated facilities (mostly Designated Assisted Living). Alberta Health Services will access their needs and assign them to the most appropriate level of care. The assessment will determine the public dollars that will follow these patients. This will be paid to the privately-operated providers. The ‘freed up’ beds will no longer be available, and the money saved is going into the hands of the private sector. This is moving our public tax dollars to the private sector no matter what spin Duckett and company try to put on it.
Please make your voices heard, and contact your MLA, the Health Minister, Ron Liepert and Stephen Duckett, CEO of Alberta Health Services. Your letter or phone calls will make a difference.
Rita M. Spencer
(Not available on line)
