An open letter the the provincial government:
I know this is likely poor timing but I don't think you people get it. We elected you on your promise to make Alberta a more desirable place to live.
With your decision to cut health-care spending and the way you’ve done it, you make me want to find a new place to live.
You folks, in all your wisdom, have now taken the care out of our health-care system.
One of the biggest things we, as realtors and residents, have always been proud of about our community, and have used to sell people on the town of Sundre, has been our incredible group of physicians, nurses, and our amazing hospital.
With your decision to walk away from the bargaining table, ignore the suggestions and recommendations from the Alberta Medical Association (AMA), tear up the existing agreement, and implement the cuts you decided were needed, without consulting the AMA further, and consulting the people who put you where you are, you have successfully put a bullet in the head of what was, our health 'care' system.
With your decision, you have now put lives at risk. Doctors are going to leave the rural areas. Nurses will follow. Hospitals will need to close. Maybe that's the plan?
Without the nurses and doctors at the Sundre hospital, I would not be here.
If they had had to function the way you're asking them to now -- or maybe demanding is a better word -- the two times where my life was in jeopardy, they would not have had the time that was required, because of your cuts, to investigate and properly diagnose, and treat, the very rare, and serious issues I had.
I'd have likely been shipped to Calgary to the Foothills(more expense) and likely died.
The thing that aggravates me the most is that I -- as a voter and longtime resident of Sundre -- wouldn't have even known of these cuts if it weren't for the doctors in Sundre who brought it to our attention.
• RELATED: Sundre physicians provide details of hospital service withdrawl
No one asked the people in rural Alberta what their thoughts were on the matter. You all, with your vast amount of experience in the health-care field, just decided what was best for us. Guess what? You've made the cuts in the wrong place!
The focus of the UCP, from what I see, is about the economy, specifically Alberta's oil industry. All good. I want to see the oil industry come back as much as anyone.
A billion dollars for Keystone XL. Good for you. Where's that coming from? How about an equal amount for health care? What's a billion here or there? Ms. Notley won't mind.
It's a great thing to invest in the economic future of our beautiful province but if you're not invested in the people, you've got nothing!
I'm sure there are lots of places, and useless programs, where you can make your cuts. The energy war room comes to mind. (I understand it's been scaled back because of COVID-19) Leave our health care alone!
The worst part of this situation is, not only have you taken it upon yourselves to make the cuts to our front-line workers, you've chosen a time (maybe you thought folks wouldn't notice it as much because of the COVID thing) where they are taking the biggest risks they ever will (not to mention putting their own lives and the lives of their loved ones on the line) to protect and serve the good people of this province!
Are any of you wanting to hang out in an emergency room right now? I didn't think so.
You people were elected to listen to, and serve, the good folks of Alberta.
Wake up! You’re not listening!
Tom King,
Sundre
