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“Clearly, this government thinks it’s OK to line the pockets of the One Per Cent, while leaving the rest of us languishing in packed Emergency Rooms or in painfully long lineups for treatment,” says president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE), Elisabeth Ballermann.
Edmonton (7 Mar. 2014) – Sick and injured Albertans across the province will pay the price for today’s budget failure, says President of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE), Elisabeth Ballermann.
“With a $1-billion boost in health-care funding from the federal government and with improving revenue putting the province back into surplus, Albertans want the days of painful austerity to be over,” says Elisabeth Ballermann, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE), which represents more than 25,000 health-care professionals.
“Instead, we got yet another year of bad news for patients. Where’s the money we desperately need to keep pace with our growing population and with inflation?
“Alberta holds a shameful health-care record. Every year since 1981 it has ranked bottom of all provinces for the amount spent on health care as a proportion of the wealth in the province,” she says. “We are 10th out of 10 every single year. Is it any wonder that our health-care system is sick?”
Budget continues disturbing trend
Ballermann says this terrible trend seems certain to continue with the budget announced today. The government allocated $18.3 billion for health care. This is an increase of more than $653 million and 3.7 per cent over last year. However, it is $248 million and 1.4 per cent short of what is needed to keep up with population growth and inflation.
For the next three fiscal years, projected health-care spending is $821 million and 4.6 per cent short of what is needed to keep up with population growth and inflation.
Albertans not getting the health care they need - and deserve
“How much health care will not be delivered because of these missing millions? On one hand the government says it is ‘unabashedly confident’ and predicts our economy will grow by 3.7 per cent this year and that population will grow by 100,000 people per year. On the other hand, it says it is broke and there’s no money to take care of those people when they get sick,” says Ballermann.
“It is simply baffling that this government thinks it’s appropriate to make vulnerable Albertans – the sick and injured, the seniors in need of care, the patients who can’t afford their medication – pay for their continuing mismanagement of our economy,” she says.
“Clearly, this government thinks it’s OK to line the pockets of the One Per Cent, while leaving the rest of us languishing in packed Emergency Rooms or in painfully long lineups for treatment,” says Ballermann.
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