Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) President, Mike Parker issued the following statement after Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced private provider DynaLIFEDX to take over all community lab service in Alberta.
“HSAA proudly represents the highly trained, skilled and dedicated lab professionals working in both the public and private systems. Our members have been pillars of strength throughout this pandemic for Albertans and they will continue to be every day to come.
“Assurances of no job losses and that lab professionals will continue to be represented by HSAA is good news. For two years now lab workers have been giving their all to protect Albertans during the pandemic while being kept in the dark as the UCP blindly plows ahead with its privatization plans.
“There are three things we need to know for our members and for Albertans. First, what happens to pensions? Our members in the public system have them, our private members don’t. Our workers without pensions must have the opportunity to get them and those with pensions in place must be assured that they will be kept whole. Second, what exactly is included in this transfer? Albertans and lab professionals deserve to know how lab services will be impacted. Third, how much public money is going to guaranteed profit for DynaLIFEDX? The province must release contract details so Albertans can see how much of their money is going to profits instead of patient care.
“HSAA believes all public money spent on health care should go to patient care, not profits.”
HSAA is 28,000 health-care professionals dedicated to protecting the public health system and the vulnerable Albertans who rely on it.
