Frostbite amputations in Alberta way up as homeless citizens face lethal temperatures

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on December 16, 2025.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Released health-care data shows the number of frostbite amputations has increased in Alberta, and Friends of Medicare is sounding the alarm on the underlying crisis.

Data released by CBC shows record increases in frostbite amputations last winter, with five times the number of surgeries taking place since 2019. The majority of these cases are unhoused patients.

While Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Jason Nixon stated that these are a “direct result of co-ordinated, concerted efforts to increase awareness and early intervention of frostbite and cold exposure,” FoM criticized the lack of proactive care to prevent these procedures from being necessary.

“The temperature has dropped and thousands of Albertans are outside in the cold due to a lack of affordable housing,” said FoM executive director Chris Gallaway. “Our government should be treating this as the public health crisis that it is and acting urgently on solutions. Instead, the Minister’s office is suggesting that record frostbite amputation surgeries are somehow good news.”

“In what world is amputating a finger or a foot an ‘improved outcome for vulnerable Albertans’? The Minister’s statement is beyond offensive, as is his lack of action,” said Gallaway.

He added that these amputations are traumatic both for those who have to undergo them and for the health-care providers who have to deal with a wave of preventable cold-weather injuries.

“If caring for our neighbours isn’t enough motivation for our government to act, they should look at their bottom line. Because we know that poverty costs,” said Gallaway. “Housing Albertans is a whole heck of a lot cheaper than what we are currently doing, which is allowing homelessness to be treated through our emergency departments, operating rooms and public hospital system.”

With a particularly bad influenza season underway and hospitals facing capacity issues, says FoM, a plan to reduce frostbite amputations should be a key part of reducing demand.

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