Alberta New Democrat Chair, The Future of Health Care, Dr. Luanne Metz, issued the following statement in reaction to the UCP government announcing a hospital-based leadership model:
“The UCP has bungled their handling of Alberta’s health-care system, and this is their latest attempt to make good on the premier’s 2023 promise to fix health care in 90-days.
“This announcement is one more step towards implementing the UCP government’s plan to hand control of our publicly paid-for hospitals to private operators.
“What happens when a hospital starts to run out of money? Private operators need to make a profit. They achieve that by focusing on simple medical issues and when patients become complex, Bill 55 allows them to discharge patients.
“Albertans should not expect hospitals to make a profit, nor should we use public money to pay corporate profits.
“Instead of focusing on the basics: hiring more doctors, treating staff with respect, getting down ER wait times and getting people the surgeries they need, the UCP government is focusing on who orders supplies.
“And let's remember, from the private lab fiasco to wasting millions on unusable acetaminophen, the UCP government has a horrible track record of bloated contracts with private vendors.”