NDP town hall hears stories of health care system falling short
By Alexandra Noad - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on October 3, 2024.
Between the emergency wait times and lack of doctors accepting new patients, many Lethbridge residents are feeling like the Alberta health care system is failing them.At a town hall meeting hosted by members of the NDP on Tuesday evening many residents voiced their concerns over the current state of Alberta’s health care system.
Residents shared similar stories of long waiting periods for surgeries for things which are affecting their everyday life.
One resident’s husband was in a car accident, which dislodged his hip. He is currently bedridden and is the owner of a small business, which is currently being affected due to his condition.
“Our business is suffering. He’s in bed most days. He can’t bend, push, pull, walk without braces. He can’t go to games and watch his 11th grade son play football and basketball and that’s all he wanted to do since his son was born,” said the resident.
The resident was told it would take between two and four years for him to get a surgery – a time frame she says is “criminal.”
Another resident who is only 59 and waiting for double knee-replacement surgery has decided to pay and get it privately done in Europe, for half the price it would cost her to get it privately done in Canada, with more support in the aftercare process.
“The aftercare is a week of physiotherapy. That would not happen here, you would be sent home with a pamphlet. So, for less than $20,000-including airfare, I’m going away,” she said.
Dr. Luanne Metz, MLA for Calgary Varsity and a clinical neurologist and researcher, says the reason for the long waiting time for these surgeries is the lack of anesthesiologists and funding to keep operating rooms open for more work to be done.
Metz also says the wait times are being doctored to show a lower wait time than what people are waiting.
“When you see published the average wait times to get your knee replaced, that starts when the surgeon puts you on that you’re ready for surgery. So, after you waited two years or more, that doesn’t count on the wait list,” said Metz.
People aren’t just concerned about surgery wait times. One young family’s son has been staying at the Children’s Hospital in Calgary. His favourite nurse is leaving to California, and they say the boy is heartbroken.
With the UCP considering a plan to turn some of AHS hospital services to Covenant Health there are concerns, especially among women about reproductive health.
One young woman dealt with painful menstrual cycles was put on birth control and denied a hysterectomy, because she was told “she would regret not being able to have children in the future.”
Sarah Hoffman, shadow health minister, says she was shocked how many people she spoke to about women’s health.
“I could not believe how many people I talked to today about women’s health. There was one woman I met today who was in her last month of pregnancy and finally got referred to an OB-GYN because they’re in such shortage,” said Hoffman.
Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi says the healthcare system has been chronically underfunded for a long time and it was heartbreaking to hear the stories told Tuesday evening.
He added the people of Lethbridge West have an opportunity to send the UCP a message by the end of the year.
“This government does not listen to its opponents very much, but it does listen to Albertans. The people of Lethbridge West have a great opportunity to send a message to the UCP by electing an NDP member of the Legislative assembly in the by-election happening before the end of the year,” said Nenshi. 2
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