July 6, 2021 – The Alberta NDP is calling out on Health Minister, Tyler Shandro’s “toxic relationship” with Alberta’s health care workers. The official opposition blames Shandro on the widespread gaps in health care coverage around the province in clinics and hospitals.
NDP Leader, Rachel Notley said in a press conference that there’s a critical shortage of front-line healthcare providers in rural Alberta for both doctors and nurses “…and what makes this problem even worse is that when we raised it with Health Minister Tyler Shandro, he refused to acknowledge the problem exists at all.” Notley acknowledged the emergency department in Fairview has closed multiple times in a short time period because of no on-site physician.
Requests for locums or temporary doctors to fill gaps in hospitals and clinics are issued out by the Alberta Medical Association through emails. In summer 2020, from July through September, the NDP says there were between five and 14 gaps to cover, and this year the number has exploded to 142 gaps in 32 different communities.
Notley says physician recruitment in rural Alberta is a long term issue. “This government has made it much more difficult, as a result of attacking some of the programs and incentives in places, essentially breaking the relationship with doctors.” Notley noted the answer for the gaps in the healthcare system is to rebuild a respectful and collaborative relationship with physicians serving Alberta communities.
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom
