EDMONTON, AB – A union representing Alberta health care workers is slamming today’s announcement from the UCP government in response to the crisis in emergency rooms.
CUPE Alberta President Raj Uppal, herself a former emergency room worker at Grey Nuns Hospital in Edmonton, says that while the plans look good, no action is being taken.
“The number of new beds announced today is exactly what they announced on November 14th,” said Uppal. “You can put the two press releases side by side and not know which is which. The real question is – will they ever deliver?”
“A thousand beds promised in November, a thousand beds promised again today. Not one of them has been opened. Not one.”
In the meantime, Alberta emergency rooms have been rocked by crises and overcrowding in recent weeks. In December, a 44-year old man died of heart failure after eight hours waiting at Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Hospital. In another case, an elderly man with the flu waited for almost four days on a stretcher in a hallway before receiving care.
Uppal said CUPE Alberta is echoing the call from the Alberta Medical Association for a declaration of a state of emergency.
“A state of emergency gives authorities more tools to deal with the overcrowding crisis,” said Uppal. “That way, they don’t have to wait for the UCP to keep their promises of more beds.”
“Listen to health care workers. There is a health care emergency in Alberta. Admit it, so we can work on it.”
Uppal scoffed at Minister Matt Jones’ promise of a judicial inquiry into the death of the patient at Grey Nuns, pointing out that the government has been ignoring the recommendations of a previous judicial inquiry into the death of a CUPE member working in social services.
“This government talks the talk, but it’s a lie. They never take any action. They just don’t care.”