Things not as Rosy as the Wildrose Province lets on
Ruserious @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:22 am
$1:
Hospitals struggle with bed shortages
Last updated Jan 27 2006 09:26 AM MST
CBC News
Hospital bed shortages in Edmonton and Calgary are pushing patients into the hallways and causing back-logs with ambulances.
Shortages were so severe in Calgary this past week, one elderly woman in Calgary was left in a hallway for five days, according to family members.
Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft called the situation unacceptable.
"Calgary and Alberta once had the best health care system probably in the world and through a combination of neglect, mismanagement, and I think deliberate sabotage, that's been shattered and there is only one point of responsibility and that is this government," said Taft.
Calgary hospitals have recorded more than a dozen cases of Code Burgundy – where there are more patients than beds.
Similarly, hospitals in Edmonton have been thrust into several instances of Code Red – where ambulances are queued up with patents waiting to be admitted to emergency.
Alberta's Health Minister, Iris Evans, called the situation tragic and said the government is taking the situation seriously.
"I think when we come forward and talk about health care standards and continuing care and home care, we will hopefully do a better job in the future on it."
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
Last updated Jan 27 2006 09:26 AM MST
CBC News
Hospital bed shortages in Edmonton and Calgary are pushing patients into the hallways and causing back-logs with ambulances.
Shortages were so severe in Calgary this past week, one elderly woman in Calgary was left in a hallway for five days, according to family members.
Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft called the situation unacceptable.
"Calgary and Alberta once had the best health care system probably in the world and through a combination of neglect, mismanagement, and I think deliberate sabotage, that's been shattered and there is only one point of responsibility and that is this government," said Taft.
Calgary hospitals have recorded more than a dozen cases of Code Burgundy – where there are more patients than beds.
Similarly, hospitals in Edmonton have been thrust into several instances of Code Red – where ambulances are queued up with patents waiting to be admitted to emergency.
Alberta's Health Minister, Iris Evans, called the situation tragic and said the government is taking the situation seriously.
"I think when we come forward and talk about health care standards and continuing care and home care, we will hopefully do a better job in the future on it."
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
You would think that with all of the money which good ol' Ralphie has inherited courtesy of the rising price of oil, his conservatives could have done a better job with healthcare.
We did not make this up.
Delwin @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:40 am
Here's more of the story:
Hospital patient left in hallway for five days
Updated Thu. Jan. 26 2006 10:40 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
The family of an 83-year-old woman who spent five days in the hallway of Calgary hospital after having hip surgery say they have had their eyes opened.
Isabel Keen spent two days in the hallway of a Foothills hospital around the time of her surgery, to repair a hip broken in a fall. She was later moved back into the hallway, and spent another three days there.
"I don't think anything prepared me for the moment when I actually saw her there, you know," grandson Randy Mills told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday.
They bathed her and changed her in the hallway, and her personal possessions were placed on a rolling care in the middle of the hallway.
The Calgary Sun reported that a Calgary Health Region official said non-emergency patients are moved into hallways almost daily because of overcrowding.
Mills doesn't blame the hospital. He blames the Klein government, saying it has focused more on having a balanced budget than on improving health care in the province.
"You know, I probably had my head in the sand like most people. We hear the stories, but until it affects someone close to you, it's not real," said Mills.
"It's very real for me now, you know?"
He suspects that his grandmother's inability to complain about her treatment -- she suffers from dementia -- contributed to her being moved from room to room, and into the hallway.
Her husband, Ron, told the Calgary Sun, that she was moved from hospital rooms four times.
Keen reportedly has a room now, and Mills said that for now, that is enough for him.
"I'm hopeful she' going to stay there. She won't get bumped again.
"I think for me it's been a wake-up call and I hope for other Canadians, for other Albertans it can be a wake-up call."
Kind of puts those klein bucks into perspective doesn't it?
Numure @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 11:56 am
What the... I thought Alberta was rich? Why arnt you guys funding Health Care properly?
Ruserious @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:07 pm
I can now see why Harper didn't bother to have his medical condition checked out while he was at home in Calgary Alberta but opted to wait until he was in Ottawa Ontario to go to the hospital.
danikyvor @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:13 pm
Ruserious Ruserious:
$1:
Hospitals struggle with bed shortages
Last updated Jan 27 2006 09:26 AM MST
CBC News
Hospital bed shortages in Edmonton and Calgary are pushing patients into the hallways and causing back-logs with ambulances.
Shortages were so severe in Calgary this past week, one elderly woman in Calgary was left in a hallway for five days, according to family members.
Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft called the situation unacceptable.
"Calgary and Alberta once had the best health care system probably in the world and through a combination of neglect, mismanagement, and I think deliberate sabotage, that's been shattered and there is only one point of responsibility and that is this government," said Taft.
Calgary hospitals have recorded more than a dozen cases of Code Burgundy – where there are more patients than beds.
Similarly, hospitals in Edmonton have been thrust into several instances of Code Red – where ambulances are queued up with patents waiting to be admitted to emergency.
Alberta's Health Minister, Iris Evans, called the situation tragic and said the government is taking the situation seriously.
"I think when we come forward and talk about health care standards and continuing care and home care, we will hopefully do a better job in the future on it."
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
Last updated Jan 27 2006 09:26 AM MST
CBC News
Hospital bed shortages in Edmonton and Calgary are pushing patients into the hallways and causing back-logs with ambulances.
Shortages were so severe in Calgary this past week, one elderly woman in Calgary was left in a hallway for five days, according to family members.
Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft called the situation unacceptable.
"Calgary and Alberta once had the best health care system probably in the world and through a combination of neglect, mismanagement, and I think deliberate sabotage, that's been shattered and there is only one point of responsibility and that is this government," said Taft.
Calgary hospitals have recorded more than a dozen cases of Code Burgundy – where there are more patients than beds.
Similarly, hospitals in Edmonton have been thrust into several instances of Code Red – where ambulances are queued up with patents waiting to be admitted to emergency.
Alberta's Health Minister, Iris Evans, called the situation tragic and said the government is taking the situation seriously.
"I think when we come forward and talk about health care standards and continuing care and home care, we will hopefully do a better job in the future on it."
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
You would think that with all of the money which good ol' Ralphie has inherited courtesy of the rising price of oil, his conservatives could have done a better job with healthcare.
We did not make this up.
that's always been a problem in Alberta, it's not recent by any means. I want to know why we continually have education cuts too.
Delwin @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:14 pm
I hope his albertain firewall prevents escape aswell as intrusion.
Banff @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:23 pm
I think it is a no win situation for Alberta and Medicare .
Medicare can only do so much even under the helping hand of private clinics . Private clinics will bump up the cost like any industry and will eventually pack up and leave town if there is a better dollar to be made elsewhere .
Medicare can only adapt so much therefore making it equivalent to US style systems . Putting in a good continuous effort is the best Medicare can do and thats good enough for me . Dealing wth waiting times is a good step in the right direction but even that has its limitations .
RUEZ @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:44 pm
This does bring up a very important question. If Alberta has so much money that they can give every resident $400, then why is there any health care problems at all. I'm just as curious as you liberals. Ruserious does this mean you now accept that there is a problem with the current health care system?
NorthCelt @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:48 pm
Economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times this week that the best medical system in the US is the one that Veterans Affairs uses...it uses only one system to track all patients (like Canada's), has the authority to negotiate its own large pharmaceutical and equipment purchases (like Canada's) and has eliminated the 'legions' of bureaucrats typical of the rest of US healthcare (opposite of Canada's). He didn't mention Canada once but has in past articles so the comparisons were obvious.
The reason why healthcare sucks in Alberta? Simple...hard-headed free-marketeers who would rather sabotage a system than have themselves be proved wrong. Get rid of Klein...he's one dark-hearted SOB.
NorthCelt @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 2:52 pm
Veterans Administration (not Veteran's Affairs)...my apologies.
TheGup @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:29 pm
The World Health Organisation found that the best health systems (France being #1) were mostly two tier system, comprising of public and private options, did they not?
And they also found that Canada's health care system, called "the best in the world" by defenders of it, was ranked 13th.
Not defending this kind of treatment in a hospital...I just think that this system has proven not to be working as effectively as people claim it is. It's time to take some good looks at options.
TheGup @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 3:38 pm
Because our healthcare system at the moment is broken almost beyond repair. Also, if there are countries who are very successfully mixing private and public healthcare with no negative reaction, and is beneficiary to the citizens of that country, I don't comprehend why some are vehemently against it.
I don't advocate cutting the public funding of healthcare..But if a third of Canadians started using private healthcare, we could put even more funding into the areas that need it. Plus, it would reduce hugely reduce wait times and open rooms.
hwacker @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:08 pm
NorthCelt NorthCelt:
Economist Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times
Did you see his degree? That guy is a complete Hack. He plays to the far lefty crowd, I guess I didn't need to state that, look who he writes for.
Jaime_Souviens @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 4:15 pm
Apparently no one noticed...
Ruserious Ruserious:
$1:
...
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
Evans said the space crunch will ease with the completion of new hospitals under construction.
So they're building new hospitals, eh?
Good for them.
Ruserious @ Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:11 pm
RUEZ RUEZ:
This does bring up a very important question. If Alberta has so much money that they can give every resident $400, then why is there any health care problems at all. I'm just as curious as you liberals. Ruserious does this mean you now accept that there is a problem with the current health care system?
That is a good question RUEZ, since Alberta's been bragging about how rich they are over the past year or so... there shouldn't be any health care problems there at all.
As for your second question, the only problem with the current health care is that there are far too many overpaid executives and management types sucking the money out of the system when it should be spent on doctors, nurses, treatment and hosptial beds
Trim the fat cats, quit allowing losers like Harper to be running to the hospital just because they have a little chest cold and the system will be fine.