Health care fears come to the fore at town halls

By Lethbridge Herald on November 7, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Albertans are concerned about the constant changes in the healthcare system, says Friends of Medicare, whose latest set of town halls have seen hundreds of worried citizens.

Friends of Medicare are holding town halls in communities across the province, traveling with Paul Parks, an emergency physician from Medicine Hat, beginning in Lethbridge last weekend, where 140 people showed up and Medicine Hat on Tuesday saw over 200 people, filling the venue to capacity.

Chris Gallaway, executive director of Friends of Medicare says the changes within the healthcare system, specifically splitting the system up into four pillars is causing mass confusion for doctors.

“It’s chaotic; it’s unclear what’s happening, they’re trying to help their patients navigate a system that’s changing where they’re not sure what entity is responsible for what.”

The recent announcement of paid preventative screening is causing concern that routine tests are going to have longer wait times, similar to what happened with surgeries.

Gallaway says with anyone being able to access testing, it could overload the system even more with people getting testing done, even if it’s not a necessity.

“We’re opening that floodgate to say ‘sure, go buy whatever test you want’, but we’re not going to have more technicians to run MRI machines or CT scans, so of course people are going to be waiting longer while (others) are shopping around for testing or surgeries.”

He adds that if the government continues on the road of for-profit healthcare there will not be enough resources or capacity to have the emergency healthcare the province needs and Alberta will end in a two-tiered system where those who can afford it will get the care they need while those who don’t will end up suffering.

Another large concern for Gallaway is the lack of transparency in the contracts the government makes with private agencies which means we won’t know what we’re getting locked into when it comes to the contracts.”

“A problem with privatization and transparency as the public (is) we don’t know what we’re locked in for.”

At the Lethbridge town hall, Gallaway says community members shared their experiences of not being able to find a family physician, the emergency room at Chinook Regional Hospital being understaffed and even nearby rural communities having to close their emergency room due to understaffing.

Friends of Medicare will continue to travel across the province, visiting as many communities as they can in hopes to listen to anyone and everyone willing to share their concerns.