Cuts aimed at doctors a ‘monstrosity’
By Letter to the Editor on May 2, 2020.
I don’t know how you feel, but I am forever grateful to my general practitioner, Dr. Michael Cunningham. Since he arrived from Ireland, I have been his patient, marvelling at his depth of knowledge and application to all my related health issues.
What struck me immediately was his efficiency, yet personability. I was to learn he was allotted seven minutes with me; four, if another physician was absent.
When I inquired about his case load per day, the number was staggering. How would one human being juggle that much responsibility daily, then weekly.
He attended one or two night clinics a week along with his daily routine. How I wondered could society ever pay him enough?
I am assuming other physicians work at a similar level, although no human should.
When hearing rumblings of these cuts months ago, my ire was raised to the boiling point. Every item in the article written by local doctors in the April 22 Herald is valid.
Let’s cut the budget in a way that respects participation, not exclusion.
Emergency room alternative to night clinics! You have to be kidding! That increase in spending alone would be astronomical.
Sign me up for whatever it takes to protest and change this monstrosity that never should have been implemented during this crisis!
Shirley Fleming
Lethbridge
13-12
and this comment has been withheld after being posted, again, awaiting moderation. it just makes no sense.
excellent letter, and from one with a most compassionate heart. albertans, like the vast brunt of canadians in general, are not activist. our passivity must elicit a lot of drool among the control freaks in our society, and no less among the corporate tools that are our “leaders.” here we have an example of a necessity being eroded by lies – lots of money to go around, but using the public purse to best serve the public is always secondary to corporate welfare and self service. one thing we should know: it will be very hard to get doctors – and our public health system back to a useful level – should we lose too much of it. and our ucp are well under way with their desire to gut it beyond repair.
Do you think biff that It’s all about forcing Albertans into privatization to help Tyler Shandro’s wife with her private for profit health care insurance company fill her pockets , like many of us think? Now they want to force us into paying to use our provincial parks by privatizing them, like Klein did with our campgrounds. It doubled the cost for campers over night. I’m sure his supporters must be really proud of what they have created for themselves. My friends and I are seeing our auto insurance increase by $400. this year while our vehicles lose their value. Like former MLAs from the Lougheed era taught me , you can’t trust Reformers, spreading lies and looking after their own well being and that of their rich friends is what they are all about. You can bet they will be trying to force our children into a privatized education system next.
you have further nailed some significant issues, fed up. will the livestock that seems to comprise the brunt of the electorate ever wake up to the slaughter.