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'The public system isn't broken but the way the provincial government continues to underfund it is.' - Friends of Medicare. UPDATED
Edmonton (29 April 2009) - The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE) is supporting a rally to protest the weakening of the provincial health care system by the Alberta government.
The demonstration - Stand Up for Public Health Care - is scheduled for May 9 at 1:30 p.m. at the Alberta legislature. It is being organized by Friends of Medicare.
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| HSAA president Elisabeth Ballermann |
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| HSAA members on the line for health care in Alberta. |
"Alberta's renegade health minister, Ron Liepert, is continuing his assault on public health care under the guise of finding 'efficiencies' within the system," the group says.
"Those 'supposed efficiencies' have included the recent delisting of important health care needs, including chiropractic services, warnings of additional delisting, an attack on seniors prescription drug coverage and threats of attempting to revisit previously agreed-to collective agreements."
HSAA says funding for health care has failed "year after year" to keep pace with the growth of Alberta's population.
"The public system isn't broken but the way the provincial government continues to underfund it is," says Friends of Medicare.
"The time is now to send the Stelmach government a strong message - Don't mess with our Public Health Care System!"
The group will be joined on May 9 with an Alberta-wide coalition of health care defenders, including seniors groups, health care workers, unions and concerned citizens.
Their unified message to the government will be: "We expect proper consultation with Albertans on future health care reforms, which must include public - and not private - improvements to our health-care system!"
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
More information:
Friends of Medicare
Petition: Cease and Desist Order - Health and Wellness Minister Ron Liepert -pdf
2007 HSAA campaign to promote the value of health services