If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the provincial government in recent years, it’s that Edmonton doesn’t give a darn about emergency health care. Last fall, the public learned of an emergency room crisis in this province resulting in ridiculous wait times and even deaths. At that time, PC MLA Raj Sherman, an emergency room doctor, chose not to toe his party’s line and call attention to the disaster. For his brave actions he was fired from the government caucus. This same government forced the dismantling of Airdrie’s successful integrated emergency service with a slower, more expensive version.
So, as our city embarks on a quest to drive improved health care to our region, one thing seems clear: If we want to get something done, were going to have to do it ourselves. Even though Airdrie is the largest city in the province without a 24-hour emergency room, the government and its newly centralized health superboard have shown no interest in improving the situation. If we simply continue lobbying the government to rectify this gross oversight, as we have with the classroom space crisis, it could be 20 years or more before the various pencil pushers at Alberta Health take action.
Alderman Allan Hunter is right, we must band together as a community to get our current urgent care clinic staffed and open 24 hours per day, every day.
Current growth projections peg Airdrie’s population at 70,000 in just a few decades. Emergency care is not optional. We have to do it. We have to start now.
Until something resembling a competent government comes along, it looks like we have to do it ourselves.
