Stephen Duckett, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, recently addressed a conference in Calgary. His speech ought to be published in every newspaper in Alberta. He told his audience why Albertans are paying more for their health-care system per capita than any other province in Canada. The over-spending is best explained in the term “pork-barrelling” — in other words, buying votes!
Municipalities are competing for health-care dollars. This unhealthy competition was made easy by the old regional health system, which Duckett exposed as a “mess!”
Throwing all this unnecessary cash at health care should result in better health outcomes for Albertans. Right? Wrong! Average Canadians in the other provinces now live longer than Albertans.
When Duckett speaks about our provincial health system, every taxpayer and politician ought to “suck it up” and listen carefully. Never has our system came under such honest and intensive scrutiny as it has since May 2008 when Alberta Health Services was formed.
Did AHS find the root problem spots in the system? Yes! Did they discover practical solutions? Yes! Is anybody listening? No!
The public has turned a deaf ear. We have been told for years how great Alberta is, how great the Conservative party is, how money spent on health care must be money well spent. We’ve been duped!
What was our politicians response to the threat of an exposé of our health-care system? They pushed Duckett out the door and made him the villain. The good news is that Duckett is no longer under the thumb of our health minister, but can now speak clearly and honestly. Fortunately, AHS remains intact and is serving us well.
We must judge our next premier on his response to the six steps he must take to fix our health-care system so that we can be proud of it again.
Jim Swan
Red Deer