By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on October 26, 2024.
asmith@medicinehatnews.com The Palliser chapter of Friends of Medicare’s Annual General Meeting in early November, will focus largely on continuing changes to the province’s health-care system. The local chapter, as well as Friends of Medicare at large, is concerned with sweeping changes to how Albertans receive medical care, something executive director Chris Gallaway intends to speak on as he makes the trip down to the southeast corner for the Nov. 5 meeting. “It’s similar all over the province,” said Gallaway. “We’re going to be talking about how Albertans can come together to stop the destruction that’s happening to our health-care system, the ongoing restructuring and privatization contracts that have been signed, and talk about how we can actually rebuild health care for Albertans so they can access the care they need.” As he’s been travelling the province, Gallaway says he’s been hearing similar concerns in each city he visits – Albertans are increasingly worried about access. “Whether it’s family doctors, or closed emergency rooms, or wait lists for surgeries, or whatever shape of it that it might be, that’s the issue that keeps coming up,” said Gallaway. He intends to make a presentation at the meeting, highlighting what exactly is happening to Alberta’s health care and what can be done to prevent some of the more problematic shifts. “There’s things happening, like the promise for the new compensation model for physicians that they then broke, or the contracts to private providers,” said Gallaway. “We’re concerned that that seems to be where they’re going with all four sectors. It’s kind of the two things at once, the government’s massive restructuring plan, but also their preference for for-profit private contracts rather than public delivery of health care.” The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, and the presentation by Gallaway will be open to the public. “I’m going to do a presentation at the meeting, and then we’ll open it up to questions and to hear from folks in Medicine Hat and southeastern Alberta about what their concerns are,” said Gallaway. “Anyone who wants to come talk about health care and hear what’s going on, is very welcome.” 11
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