Edmonton Journal Reports on Town Hall
From The Edmonton Journal:
Health cuts 'ideological choice,' crowd told
More than 500 people attend town hall session organized by Friends of Medicare
By Richard Warnica, Edmonton JournalOctober 14, 2009 6:28 AM
The Alberta government has made an "ideological choice" to blow a hole in the public health system -- a move that will raise costs and erode care, a medicare advocate warned an audience of hundreds at a town hall meeting Tuesday.
"We are trying to stop money from flowing out of the system," said David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
"The government is completely swimming against the current."
The overflow crowd of more than 500 had organizers scrambling to lay out chairs as Eggen took to the podium.
Lining the walls on either side of the hall, people broke into applause as experts argued that planned health cuts are uninformed, ill-timed and unnecessary.
"Alberta has less excuse than anywhere in the country to cut back," said Dr. Micheal Rachlis, a family doctor turned health policy analyst who spoke after Eggen.
Rachlis called plans to delist services and shut beds a breach in the "spirit of the Canada Health Act," one that won't save any money in the long run.
If the government really wanted to reduce costs, he said, it would expand coverage to include more drug coverage and community care and reform the way doctors and other health professionals are paid, not allow more private delivery.
"I think the best argument against going private is Tony Soprano's," he said: "Fuggetaboutit--you don't need it."
Diana Gibson, research director at the University of Alberta's Parkland Institute, told the crowd that the government is trying to use public relations to make health-care problems disappear.
"It appears with a couple of press releases, we can magic away nursing shortages," she said.
The crowd appeared to be overwhelmingly supportive of the speakers' messages, with some saying they were alarmed by stories of coming cuts and closures.
"I'm concerned by what I'm hearing in the media, but I'm also concerned by what I'm seeing," said Bill Davidson, who runs a boarding house for patients who fly in for treatment from the north. "I'm seeing new places getting built, but not enough staff going into them."
Others were there to protest plans to reduce beds at Alberta Hospital, an acute psychiatric care facility.
"I think it's an outrage that they're closing that mental hospital," said Shirley Lewis.
"I just feel like it's going to spiral into an even worse situation," said Agata Nowinka, a fourth-year medical student who worked at Alberta Hospital this fall.
The government has said it won't close beds at Alberta Hospital until new spaces for treatment are opened in the community. But that doesn't mollify Nowinka.
Acute psychotic patients often need constant intensive care, she said. "That just can't happen in the community. It's like sending your car to be treated by a hairdresser."
Eggen said the government is using the economy as an excuse to do what it wants with the health-care system.
"It's a business choice and an ideological choice," he said. "You blow a hole in the middle of your public health system and private health care will enter."
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
End of Quote
NOt only PC ideology but also WRA ideology - Mark my words!!
Health cuts 'ideological choice,' crowd told
More than 500 people attend town hall session organized by Friends of Medicare
By Richard Warnica, Edmonton JournalOctober 14, 2009 6:28 AM
The Alberta government has made an "ideological choice" to blow a hole in the public health system -- a move that will raise costs and erode care, a medicare advocate warned an audience of hundreds at a town hall meeting Tuesday.
"We are trying to stop money from flowing out of the system," said David Eggen, executive director of Friends of Medicare.
"The government is completely swimming against the current."
The overflow crowd of more than 500 had organizers scrambling to lay out chairs as Eggen took to the podium.
Lining the walls on either side of the hall, people broke into applause as experts argued that planned health cuts are uninformed, ill-timed and unnecessary.
"Alberta has less excuse than anywhere in the country to cut back," said Dr. Micheal Rachlis, a family doctor turned health policy analyst who spoke after Eggen.
Rachlis called plans to delist services and shut beds a breach in the "spirit of the Canada Health Act," one that won't save any money in the long run.
If the government really wanted to reduce costs, he said, it would expand coverage to include more drug coverage and community care and reform the way doctors and other health professionals are paid, not allow more private delivery.
"I think the best argument against going private is Tony Soprano's," he said: "Fuggetaboutit--you don't need it."
Diana Gibson, research director at the University of Alberta's Parkland Institute, told the crowd that the government is trying to use public relations to make health-care problems disappear.
"It appears with a couple of press releases, we can magic away nursing shortages," she said.
The crowd appeared to be overwhelmingly supportive of the speakers' messages, with some saying they were alarmed by stories of coming cuts and closures.
"I'm concerned by what I'm hearing in the media, but I'm also concerned by what I'm seeing," said Bill Davidson, who runs a boarding house for patients who fly in for treatment from the north. "I'm seeing new places getting built, but not enough staff going into them."
Others were there to protest plans to reduce beds at Alberta Hospital, an acute psychiatric care facility.
"I think it's an outrage that they're closing that mental hospital," said Shirley Lewis.
"I just feel like it's going to spiral into an even worse situation," said Agata Nowinka, a fourth-year medical student who worked at Alberta Hospital this fall.
The government has said it won't close beds at Alberta Hospital until new spaces for treatment are opened in the community. But that doesn't mollify Nowinka.
Acute psychotic patients often need constant intensive care, she said. "That just can't happen in the community. It's like sending your car to be treated by a hairdresser."
Eggen said the government is using the economy as an excuse to do what it wants with the health-care system.
"It's a business choice and an ideological choice," he said. "You blow a hole in the middle of your public health system and private health care will enter."
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
End of Quote
NOt only PC ideology but also WRA ideology - Mark my words!!