Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) President, Mike Parker, reacts to today’s mass lay-off announcement.
Edmonton — “This government has decided to tear apart its best line of defence against the ongoing pandemic. To be clear, this is about privatizing health care. Money isn’t being saved; it’s being transferred to private pockets instead of being used for patient care.
“Privatization costs more and could very easily result in poorer health outcomes during this pandemic… and the next one.
“Just days after again praising the work done by our lab professionals, the current Health Minister has targeted the very people he claims are protecting Albertans in his misguided drive to privatize health care. Support workers are clearly front-line workers. It takes a team to make health care happen. Docs and other health care professionals cannot do their work in dirty facilities or in unsanitary conditions.
“The Health Minister’s announcement today is shameful. He has abdicated all responsibility for the health and safety of Albertans. He has instead decided his role is to fire highly-trained public health professionals in order to facilitate the transfer of our public health resources into private hands.
“These ‘positions’ represent thousands of Albertans who will be added to the list of the unemployed. That’s thousands upon thousands who will no longer be contributing to our economy. And that’s thousands and thousands who will no longer be there to ‘protect’ Albertans.”
HSAA is 27,000 health-care professionals dedicated to protecting the public health system and the vulnerable Albertans who rely on it.
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Media Inquiries:
Kirk Heuser, HSAA Communications Officer
780-690-8199 | kirkh@hsaa.ca
