NDP promises new family health clinics

By Steffanie Costigan - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on May 3, 2023.

Shannon Phillips, NDP MLA for Lethbridge West, announced outside the Galt Museum Tuesday morning the NDP’s plan to create new health clinics in Lethbridge and around Alberta.
“We will establish 40 new family health clinics across Alberta, and at least one of them will be here in Lethbridge. And we will invest in hiring 4,000 allied health professionals in primary care. In the coming days, Rachel Notley will share more about our recruitment and retention strategy,” said Phillips.
Rob Miyashiro, NDP Lethbridge-East candidate, spoke about the shortage of doctors here and the impact that shortage has on the community.
“Sadly, one in three people living in Lethbridge do not have access to a family doctor right now. And we are seeing the effects of the shortage wreak havoc on our community as a direct result of the UCP’s actions,” Miyashiro said.
A group of community members stood behind Phillips and Miyashiro as the NDP’s health plan was shared. Phillips expressed the needs some of the community has voiced for walk-in clinics.
“Knocking on thousands of people’s doors, people want a focus plan for a new clinic here in Lethbridge. We will deliver it. In Lethbridge, people want walk-in clinics to retain something as basic as being able to get a prescription for a kid who has strep throat at 10 at night,” Phillips shared.
She shared the concerns people in the community have regarding the declining number of healthcare workers and the need for more. Phillips said the NDP’s strategy to overcome the challenge of retaining healthcare workers involves post-secondary.
“In Lethbridge, people tell us all the time we have healthcare worker shortages. People want us to train . . .and retain health care workers. And treat them with respect once they do provide services here in Lethbridge. So, through our investment in post-secondary and our commitment to stabilizing the health care system, Alberta’s NDP Rachel Notley team of candidates here in Lethbridge will deliver on that promise,” she said.
Phillips shared the investment NDP has planned with the post-secondary system and how this can be a solution for increasing healthcare workers.
“We will need to reinvest in our post-secondary system. That is the first piece we need to make sure that those spaces are funded in our post-secondary system and that accessing post-secondary education is affordable and we have made those commitments around tuition fees and better funding for post-secondary institutions.
“There are more ways that we can attract, retain, and train healthcare workers and Rachel Notley is going to have more to say about that this week,” she said.

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