Emergency Medical Services
November 17, 2010
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Amazingly enough, the health minister accuses the Wildrose of being behind on the ER issue. The only one behind and in denial is the government. What is shocking is that the minister believes he can get away with these accusations. The document that we received discuss widespread failure in the system, and it goes on to say how a young patient died after a six-hour wait in the ER. How very, very sad and tragic. My questions are all to the minister of health. Daily demands for hospital beds are not being met, Minister. When are you going to open . . .
The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Health and Wellness.
Mr. Zwozdesky: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe the tail end of the question was about opening more beds. I’ve indicated before that there are a number of beds opening, so I’m going to talk about additional beds that are being opened in acute-care hospitals. I’ve mentioned them before. I think I gave out the Calgary stats yesterday. Today I’ll give out some Edmonton stats. In October 55 more beds were opened at the Royal Alex and at the U of A. This current week about 16 more were opened at the U of A and at the Royal Alex. By the end of November 44 more seniors’ mental health beds will be opened, and in December about 12 more detox beds will be opening.
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m not talking about palliative care or rehab or continuing care. I’m talking about acutecare beds. Since the minister has stated in the House that fixing the ER crisis is your priority and a top priority, will he legislate the waiting times that he aspires to?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I am aware that in some places around the world they try to legislate that, but I’m also aware of what her colleague to her right there, from Calgary-Glenmore, said yesterday when he was talking about so-called successful European health systems. He cited France, where patients might be subject to copayment charges for basic services such as hospital care, and he’s making it sound like that’s one two-tier system we should follow. We’re not going to follow that. We believe in a single payer here . . .
The Speaker: The hon. member.
Mrs. Forsyth: Minister, Albertans want answers. They don’t want your BS.
The Speaker: I believe, hon. member, you want to rephrase that. I’d withdraw that and rephrase it.
Mrs. Forsyth: They don’t believe it, Mr. Speaker. The government continues to state that they are open, and they state that they’re accountable. Will the minister table in the Legislature on Monday the minutes from the Alberta Health Services meeting this Friday on their strategy to deal with peak pressures in the ER?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, that’s not my meeting. That is a meeting of a number of specialists that Alberta Health Services has invited. Let’s be clear on what the purpose of that meeting is. The purpose of that meeting is to look at the very issues that were expressed to me and to others with respect to overcrowding in some emergency rooms, in some major acute hospitals. That is why that meeting is occurring, to address those issues. It’s time to get on with it and to focus on what’s going forward, and that’s what they’re doing.