SASKATOON (Staff) – Albertans have called for an end to budget cuts in health care, says a news release from the doctors who ran a “Tell Us Where It Hurts” public awareness campaign.
Alberta Medical Association president Dr. J. Guy Gokiert says a loss of confidence is the main message heard from the more than 50,000 Albertans who signed postcards, wrote letters, sent e-mail messages and phoned the association’s 1-800 telephone line to talk about how they have been affected by budget cuts in health care. Their responses are summarized in a report released recently by the association.
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The association said nearly one-quarter of callers to its special phone line said they are scared of the future, and one-quarter are concerned about the reduced number of health-care providers. One in five cited long delays for laboratory or surgical services as their main source of concern, and 17 percent cited reduced access in general to hospital services.
Medical scholarships recommended
Alberta’s opposition Liberal party is also active in the health campaign. This winter it has been releasing a series of recommendations on how to improve health care and keep the services people want. In its latest release it suggests offering 10 scholarships a year to medical students who agree to practise in a rural area for the first five years after graduation.
“Currently 20 to 25 percent of rural communities experience difficulty in recruiting and retaining physicians” said Liberal health critic Howard Sapers.
