Doctors and nurses needed more than Kenney
By Letter to the Editor on August 21, 2021.
Editor:
For over 50 years, I have had the comfort of knowing that should I require the services of a doctor, I could pick up the phone and book an appointment.
Those days for both my wife and I are about to come to an end. Our doctor, a truly fine man and physician, is leaving the city.
So now, just like many other people of this community, the seemingly impossible task of finding a new doctor has begun.
I am not smart enough to have all the answers to how we got to this situation or equally important, how to get out of it.
But I do know that it is never wise for a government party to continually antagonize doctors and nurses.
Mr. Kenney, I voted for your party, but I need the doctors and nurses way more than I need you.
Jim Stickel
Lethbridge
-1
While you and I are smart enough to know it we still have stupid seniors hurling their sarcastic comments at anyone who doesn’t support Kenney’s brand of stupidity. They think he is a hero and can’t get enough of him.
I am a small c conservative voter but Kenney is the worst politician Alberta has ever had! He just seems oblivious to reality.
But you find it smart to bash my son for having babies, and that makes you smart when you see what Klein and Kenney have done to them, why?
Mr. Stickel. Thank you I am sorry for the loss you are facing regarding your doctor. Someone obviously you put your faith, trust and perhaps life in their hands. I think I can understand the trauma, stress, strain, of finding a new doctor you like and trust; (If you even can).
I too; am very concerned over the systematic dismantling of our health care system occurring within our province and our country today. Much of it due to the economic missteps so called “leaders” asked us to believe and put our faith and trust in them all the while paying them outrageous salaries, perks and benefits.
Alberta has had a PC government for close to the past 50 years. While I admit for most of that time, the average Albertan has not suffered. With the resources we have had , we should not been in the financial calamity we hare facing today if they were managed in a fiscally responsible and fiduciary manner.
I do wonder whether the services/benefits programs offered by the average politician compare to the same for the average doctor or nurse or other medical professional.
Gee; who would I want when I may need it the most, perhaps on the worst day of my life or the life of someone I loved. Politician’s were once upon a time people looked upon with some degree of respect (along with lawyers, bankers etc).
Alas; perhaps that was just a myth especially since some of the most classic literature we all study suggests from long ago suggests lawyers really did not deserve much if any respect. The same may be true today. I don’t want to lump all lawyers /politicians into the same category. Perhaps there may be some honorable ones still in existence.
On a side note ; it makes mean wonder why we still call some politicians at higher levels; “honorable” when they clearly are not. (i.e Justin Trudeau, is there one thing, one little tiny thing, that anyone can identify he has done which could in fact be called honorable?)
Unfortunately; to many politicians are lawyers, and they have done it to themselves, that is lost all credibility, respect and dignity from the general public through their actions and or inactions, untruths.
Doctors and nurses and other medical specialists and professionals, technicians have been included in that class of people; you just respected, believed, trusted and had faith in. Unlike lawyers, politicians, and bankers. They still are given all of the above, due to their credibility, their professionalism their years and years of “blood, sweat and tears” advanced and sophisticated medical training, their ethics and in fact their oath they all take and live by; “First Do No Harm”
Politicians, lawyers, and bankers have no oath to live by except; First look after yourself and the others, ….well you get the picture ….get as much out of them so you can look after yourself as best you can
Doctors, nurses, medical professionals medical technicians, paramedics are in my mind heros. Especially during this time of excess turmoil, stress, trauma and tragedy. They like Military Veterans deserve to be called honorable.
Ask yourself what has the UCP and it’s leader done (and the current Federal Government, along with previous PC governments, they are certainly not innocent in the damage done) that could be considered honorable in any way.
Yes doctors and medical staff get paid lots of money. They have earned it , they have worked for it and sacrificed for it more than most, they deserve it. They also have high expenses
Really can the same be said of a politician? Many with minimal specialized training, experience, expertise. Yet outrageous, salaries, perks, benefits, housing, pension, car and travel expenses. It’s a pretty good gig if you can get it The only thing they really bring to the table is an unwavering belief in some ideology, developed long ago which may not be applicable for todays times. Time to hold politicians feet to the fire.
We need , no we have to have honest ethical honorable politicians with integrity, accountability and can and will get turfed out the minute they begin to break laws, lie, steal cheat etc We are not even really sure whether Mr. Kenney was nominated and elected legally ………and he is running our province? Don’t fool yourselves , democracy appears to be dying and being replaced by an ideology which was hidden during the election campaign. The same seems to be happening Federally and in other places in the world
.
Everything changes sooner or later why doesn’t political ideology? Why have we allowed the UI system to remain unchanged for 50 years, or for too many seniors to live in poverty?
I could go on and on For the most part thing in my life have been ok. I have been lucky to grow up in the time I have. However I ask myself who would I want by my side when I need them most a medical professional, or a politician. The answer is simple for me. Get the politicians out of our medical system, out of AHS, and let the experts be listened to and respected.
Mr. Kenney I too; do not need you and your pals I believe; have drank your special Kool-aide and are trying to force the rest of us innocent Albertan’s to drink it as well. I don’t want to drink your special Kool-Aide!
What I do need and believe I have (for now) are; medical professional’s and other scientific experts I can trust, believe in, support and respect and who are able to refute every argument you make about water, coal mining, economic security etc.
Respectfully;
My Lethbridge doctor, a general practitioner, mentioned to me last month that because so many local doctors are leaving Alberta, or taking the opportunity to quit/retire because of the ‘troubles’ with the Kenney UCP, that there are 35,000 ‘orphan’ patients in our area. There also seems to be less availability for walkin clinics lately, thus, folks have no choice but to go the local Emergency department(s).
It follows the thought, by some/many, that the Kenney UCP is willing for the public to be inconvenienced, for a while, as the groundwork is laid to slide in private-for-profit health care.
Ah! Haw! The Hidden agenda appears! Thank you for your smarts. I always wonder where and what the hidden agenda is with this cult. (Sorry, I have difficulty considering them to be a government). No thank you; I don’t want to drink their Kool-aide.
It was Ralph Klein and Ed Stelmach who warned Albertans of Reformer Stephen Harper’s hidden agenda to scrape the Public Health Care System and force Canadians into an American Style Private For Profit one. They were right.
In 2012 Harper’s budget called for a $36 billion cut to the province’s health care payments and it got him defeated.
O’Toole when first elected was dumb enough to bring back Harper’s promise to cut $36 billion off the provinces health care systems and shut down the CBC, which was another one of Harper’s ideas.
The conservatives in my world aren’t surprised that Trudeau would try to take advantage of this bit of stupidity provided by O’Toole to call an election. The guy has shot himself in the foot.
According to the Canadian Medical Association there are currently around five million Canadians country wide without a doctor, which of course when you look at the flogging of a dead horse, Fed Up, is all stupid seniors fault and Jason Kenney.
The smart conservatives in my world know it’s these damn Reformers who are causing the problem and the stupid seniors who are supporting them , like you do. One of my best friends, a retired RCMP officer here in Edmonton has lost his doctor also.
I helped nine doctors and at least two dozen nurses relocate out of this province when Klein , Kenney’s hero, kicked them around and not one of them wanted to go. We were told we lost 14,783 health care works under Klein, and Kenney has promised to cut 11,000 more jobs.
Can you see any reason why Albertans shouldn’t band together and sue anyone connected this government for causing this problem for all Albertans, including these stupid seniors who are more than willing to support what these Reformers do to us, what do you think???
This isn’t a threat but it certainly is a warning. It’s becoming the Talk Of The Town.
We certainly don’t hear any of our young people supporting this brand stupidity, like these seniors are doing, do you???
Will buckwheat be able to prove in court, without a doubt, that it’s not Kenney’s fault, when the doctors are saying it is, lawyers state no he can’t?
If I were buckwheat I would crawl back under my rock and keep my mouth shut, this guy, like Kenney, just isn’t very smart, is he?.
Keep beating that dead horse. Yawn.