Private health care makes it frightening to be an Albertan
By Lethbridge Herald on November 19, 2025.
Editor,
I am writing because I attended a town hall meeting with the Friends of Medicare and am appalled by what I heard.
People, apparently you do not need to look across countries or oceans to find a ruthless government callous to human suffering and trampling on human rights. Alberta’s UPC government is pushing privatization of health care that is destroying our public health care system.
Almost everyone I have talked with knows a friend, family member, or that they themselves are unable to find a family doctor for primary care here in Alberta.
But, in addition, the doctor from Edmonton speaking to us had knowledge of a patient with a broken hip requiring a hip replacement, lying in a hospital bed for seven days without potentially life-saving surgery (think blood clots if not sheer pain) because no anesthesiologist could be found.
He also knew of an 11-year-old boy with cancer who could not receive potentially life saving chemotherapy because no radiologist was available. Imagine yourself as that boy’s parents, or grandparents. I, myself, know of a friend who fell and cracked two vertebrae that now press on her spinal cord, and is still awaiting surgery that could alleviate her pain.
And even if you pay $3,000 for an MRI privately, unless you can also pay for private surgery, you will wait because of a lack available staff in the public health care system.
These examples are a direct result of the government’s push for privatization. Doctors and medical specialists like anesthesiologists and even obstetricians are lured to unneeded private health facilities with promises not necessarily of higher pay, but of
lighter work loads and 9-5 hours. Anyone know of a baby in their family born between the hours of 9-5, and likely not on a weekend? And did you know that there is no recourse for enforcement even if a private long-term care facility is guilty of neglect or abuse of your mom, dad, or grandparent?
Why are we allowing the premier and her government to destroy the quality of life in our province? Why are we allowing them to disregard and dismiss medical and educational experts who have solutions to offer? Why are we allowing them to fire even those they themselves have appointed who have come to disagree with their privatization goals without raising an investigation?
Let’s keep this conversation going for those who are not aware. Let’s speak up about our own experiences. Let’s protest unfeeling and seemingly uncaring government policies. Hell, let’s lay down in front of the bulldozers trying to build more unwanted private health care facilities at the expense of excellent public health care for everyone!
It’s a frightening time to be growing older in Alberta my friends, but it is not only those of a certain age who should be frightened.
Glenna Hamilton
Lethbridge
15-14
I knew two retired doctors who had worked under a two tiered system in Europe and both said that it will never work in Alberta. First we don’t have sufficient doctors and nurses to make it work .Secondly our populations aren’t concentrated like they are in Europe. Thirdly doctors and nurses will never stay in in rural communities if they can make a lot more in private for profit facilities in the cities, why would they?
it is amazing how we have become so privatised, which in turn has undermined and spread thinner the very limited resources that the public system requires in order to proved adequate service. it has all been done by con named govts looking to line pockets, at the expense of all people in the province, including children. and, public health has been put on a deathbed by what amounts to death by a thousand cuts.