More money isn’t the right prescription for Alberta’s ailing health care system, said the Wildrose Alliance leader during a speech at an Okotoks seniors residence.
Danielle Smith spoke to residents at Calvanna Village on Jan. 5 to discuss her party’s health care policy and ways to improve the system in Alberta.
According to Smith, putting more money into the system is not the cure for the system’s problems.
“We need to make other changes before we turn to think of ways to get more revenue. If money was the answer we would’ve solved this,” said Smith, who will run as her party’s candidate in the Highwood riding in the next provincial election.
What are needed, said Smith, are changes to the system. She said there are many other examples in other countries with publicly accessible health care systems that could serve as models.
“If we want to get better results, we need a better system,” she said. “The risk is not in looking at changes, the risk is in keeping the system we have now.”
Smith said any changes her party would pursue would fall under the Canada Health Act and options like a parallel private system, user fees and co-payments cannot be pursued under the health act so they are off limits.
She said the formation of a single health board hasn’t worked, rather it’s only created more layers of bureaucracy. The Wildrose Alliance has proposed decentralizing delivery of health services to local hospitals, primary care networks and other services.
Smith said the development of robust primary care networks will go a long way to improve access to doctors and health services and treatment for Albertans. By improving access to doctors, she said it can help to ease the pressure on emergency rooms.
She said the Province also needs to ensure access to enough long-term care beds and acute care services to take pressure off emergency rooms by freeing up beds filled by people who should be in long-term care.
Smith also said there could be more of a focus on home care services to help seniors remain in their own homes.
According to Smith, there are also a number of different things the Province could do to encourage doctors to remain in Alberta. She said there should be more residency spaces in hospitals to give new doctors a place to work in their field, as well as providing doctors with more certainty they will get full-time positions in hospitals. She said forgiving a portion of school debts for doctors who locate in northern or underserved communities is another option. As well, Smith said the Province could also improve the process of recognizing the credentials of foreign trained doctors.
In addition, she said the government made a mistake to base the pharmaceutical program for seniors on income. She said seniors have “prepaid” for much of their prescription and other health care costs by the time they reach their retirement years.
Smith’s prescription struck a chord with some at the event.
Erwin Dickay agreed with Smith more money isn’t the solution.
“They always talk about money, but the way they run the system they won’t fix anything,” he said.
Dickay said a lot of money is being spent on levels of bureaucracy and not on health services.
He said he likes the idea of providing more home care services for people who can continue to live on their own.
Resident John Dear said more space is needed for long-term care and there should also be more home care for seniors who can still live on their own but need a little extra help.
However, he said long-term care needs to be affordable.
“A lot of seniors can’t always afford it,” said Dear.
He also disagreed spending more money won’t solve the health system’s problems.
Dear said Alberta is competing for doctors against places like the U.S. where they can earn bigger salaries. As well, he said removing levels of bureaucracy won’t save enough money to make a difference.
He agreed wait times are an issue, however, when his wife had to go to the hospital recently he said they didn’t experience any problems.
“I guess there are problems, but I haven’t seen them,” he said.
