Strong piece from @shmitzysays on Kenney's cowardice & deceit re: health care cuts:
"It’s one thing to push austerity & privatization if you believe they'll work for [Albertans], but if that was the case, these guys would stand like grownups & answer questions about it." #ableg
"Seriously. If everything [Kenney & the UCP] implement is so damn good for the collective, why are they afraid of answering questions about it? Why do they feel the need to handpick the media they speak to?"
"They do it because the only thing that would be worse for the UCP than looking like cowards would be Albertans realizing that their government has absolutely no interest in what’s best for them."
"...if they know their policies are bad for Albertans, & are willing to continue to implement them even as they fail to deliver, maybe it’s time to address the idea that their policies aren’t actually failing at all. Maybe “success” means something different to the UCP..." #ableg
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Wishing a happy Healthcare Aide Day to all of the HCAs who've been on the frontlines caring for Albertans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you for all your hard work & sacrifice under often difficult circumstances to protect & support the health of so many. #ableg
And as the UCP moves to cut 11,000 healthcare jobs as part of a drive for more privatization, it's important to recognize the impact that direction has had on HCAs, particularly in private long-term/continuing care. #ableg
Many privatized facilities only offer low wages & part-time hours, forcing HCAs to work multiple jobs at different sites to make a living.
That's a good part of why they have a much poorer record of protecting their residents against COVID-19.
It begins 20 years ago w/ Jason Kenney pledging to "encourage the provinces to develop their own policing mechanism for the Canada Health Act. In addition, it would not unilaterally punish provinces that expand private health care."
Another devastating blow to rural access to health services thanks to the toxicity & uncertainty caused by @shandro & @jkenney.
5 of 8 doctors at Sundre's celebrated Moose & Squirrel Clinic gave notice yesterday they'll be leaving Alberta after April 2021. #ableg
.@VMWarrenMD & @RobWarrenMD founded M&S in 2013, recognized & celebrated as a leader in rural medicine. Over 7 yrs they recruited 6 more docs & inspired & trained dozens more to practice in rural areas.
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.
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
After months of chaos, attacks & smear campaigns from Minister & his staff, AB doctors are voting on whether any trust is left. Can't really blame them.
@shandro's our 1st Min of Health to utterly (or perhaps intentionally) fail to negotiate an agreement w/ physicians. #ableg
A heartbreaking letter from a Chestermere family MD on why she's ending practice in AB:
"I can't in good conscience accept the changes the current AB gov't is enforcing [or] that patients I care deeply about will be denied healthcare in the future if this trend continues" #ableg
I moved from South Africa...where my freedom to practice
good medicine was untenable...a system of private healthcare that saw only the fortunate few able to access care...I never thought I would be seeing this disparity of
income-based healthcare pushed in this country." #ableg
"I have moved continents to be here. I was recruited to Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, but willingly came to Canada, the birthplace of Medicare, because I believed in a system of healthcare that serves everyone equally." #ableg