Albertans want a secure health care system

By Lethbridge Herald on October 1, 2021.

Editor:

“Pride goeth before a fall.” My father would temper any boasting by his children with these words. I am thinking this was not a lesson Jason Kenney ever learned from his parents.

Everyday I read the headlines about the Alberta medical system being in crisis: deferred surgeries and downgraded standards of care, both measures done to spread the health care workers ever more thinly over the increasing number of COVID ICU admissions and always with the ongoing threat of triage. 

I listen to the tired voices of the doctors and nurses pleading for measures to stem the flood of COVID infections. I listen to the depressing updates from Drs. Hinshaw and Yiu. Bottomline: our health care system is hurting.

In July, Jason Kenney proudly announced, “open for summer … open for good.”

He derided and dismissed the cautions of those on the front lines of the fight against COVID. Pride goeth before a fall. By August, Alberta’s health care system had fallen to its knees under the burden of COVID’s fourth wave and Jason Kenney’s proud moment.

On Sept. 21, Ric McIver finally requested federal assistance in dealing with Alberta’s fourth wave. While the federal government has since mustered resources for deployment to Alberta, we wait for the actual signal from the Kenney government to invoke this help. 

In addition, an offer of assistance from Newfoundland and Labrador was refused. 

Why? Why is this the case when obviously the addition of any ICU nurses and the transport of patients out of province would relieve the pressure on our health care professionals and system? Jason Kenney proudly says he is watching the numbers. 

So what? Let’s remember that this is the fourth and worst wave of COVID that our health care professionals have been faced with in 19+ months. They are tired. They are demoralized. They need relief. 

And Albertans want the security of a healthy health care system. One phone call, email, communication, albeit to Justin Trudeau, could bring help, relief, and hope to our health care professionals and to Albertans.

Pride. It goeth before a fall. It remains to be seen what Jason Kenney’s latest proud moment will bring.

Leona Jacobs

Lethbridge

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