Thread by @DShepYEG

As doctors across AB have responded to months of attacks from @shandro & UCP w/ notice of withdrawing from hospital service, he's tried to minimize concerns, claiming there'd be no loss of services as AHS would maintain full coverage.

Today those claims are proved hollow. #ableg

Despite being given 3 months notice from doctors in Pincher Creek, AHS was only able to cover two weeks of shifts at the local hospital w/ no guarantees for ER coverage, surgeries or obstetrics.

In other words, @shandro & AHS utterly failed to fill the gap. #ableg

Mayor Don Anderberg & Council reached out to their local doctors to ask them, for the sake of the community, to cover for the failure of @shandro & AHS by delaying their withdrawal of services for 90 days.

Out of compassion & concern for the community, the doctors agreed. #ableg

From Mayor Anderberg this AM: facebook.com/watch/live/?v=…

"...to [@shandro], AB Health & AHS, it may look like you got somebody to blink & cave...but the truth is our local doctors should be applauded for helping avert an unmitigated disaster in healthcare in our community" #ableg

"[AHS]...have partially covered hospital services for 2 wks only in Aug, & will not be able to do surgeries or obstetrics. They may not be able to cover the ER 24 hours.

This is a far cry from Minister Shandro stating othat he would just move physicians into communities" #ableg

In a letter to Pincher Creek doctors, AHS admitted that, despite having rec'd the required 3 mos notice, they'd failed to find needed replacements & were instead simply scheduling the doctors *against their will* w/ threats of @CPSA_CA complaints if they refused. #ableg

Again, to be clear, as Mayor Don Anderberg stated in his remarks this AM, while coverage at Pincher Creek's hospital remains in place, it is *only* because local doctors agreed to step in to cover for the failure of @shandro & AHS to fulfill his promise to maintain it. #ableg

Official letter from the Pincher doctors:

"All we asked of AHS was to recognize the essential role our physician group plays...& to enter into productive dialogue...

Instead they felt threats to our privileges & medical licenses were a way to drive us back to work." #ableg

"...gov't has treated [our] concerns w/ disdain. They continue to push ideological changes despite the measurable harm being caused to communities like ours.

It's clear we are not the citizens they want to listen to." #ableg

"We won't stand by & watch AHS & gov't fail our community...we respectfully accept [your] request to return to our regular services for 90 days.

...we remain concerned about the upcoming changes to local services & [their] failure to engage in collaborative consultation." #ableg