Government’s refusal to cover Paxlovid a cruel decision
By Lethbridge Herald on November 1, 2024.
Editor:
If you’re a senior, and if you have a comorbidity like diabetes, and if you contract COVID-19, treatment with the anti-viral Paxlovid is generally recommended,
since it will reduce the risk of severe disease, and the risk of hospitalization.
Unfortunately, if you live in Alberta, accessing this treatment will now be out of reach for most seniors because earlier this year, without any public consultation, and without any announcement, the provincial government cut Paxlovid funding for seniors, increasing the cost to $1,500.
Yes, that’s right: the cost is now not $15, not $150 but $1,500.
This is a cruel and stupid decision, since it impacts one of the groups at highest risk for COVID-19 complications, namely seniors with comorbidities, many of whom utterly lack the financial resources to purchase the drug now.
These seniors are now forced to suffer, and even worse, to put themselves at risk of severe disease and possible hospitalization. In Alberta, we need the equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath for politicians: do no harm.
Perhaps our UCP government should stop squandering millions and millions of dollars on fear-mongering ads and devote a mere fraction of the resources spent on these ads taking care of the most vulnerable members of our population.
David Siminovitch
Lethbridge
11-10
Great comments David. While these Reformers continue to attack all areas of the province along with Ottawa for daring to help the people get through the COVID pandemic and oil industry crash of 2014. If Albertans don’t kick this fool out this weekend they are damn fools. She certainly isn’t interested in looking after the well being of the people only her Reform Party friends, while she continues to give away billions in oil and corporate tax wealth and our municipalities continue to suffer they are forced to give us huge property tax increases. They have to.
With Danielle Smith getting an approval rating of 91.5% it proves how stupid these seniors are doesn’t it? Where they are going to find medical help when they need it, with more and more doctors and nurses stating they are leaving if she was re-elected. The problem is they taken all of us seniors with them, haven’t they?
Seniors didn’t give Danielle 91.5% approval.Much different demographics at AGM. Fed up is talking without thinking again (still).