CALGARY – Albertans are seeing poorer health outcomes despite high government spending, and recent hospital projects have been based on politics instead of need, says former health boss Stephen Duckett.
In a speech in Calgary today, Duckett is expected to speak directly to the six Alberta PC leadership candidates, all of whom have a chance at taking the helm of the party and with it, the premier’s chair.
“Your predecessors were responsible for a systematic deterioration of health care in Alberta,” Duckett wrote in an edited version of the speech, published today in the Herald.
“Stop using health spending as a pork barrel. Populism is no way to set health priorities.”
He said a second hospital site in Grande Prairie is expensive and unnecessary, and a new hospital in Sherwood Park “was yet another costly political decision.”
“The hospital will never be large enough to provide the full range of services and patients will still have to travel to Edmonton for even moderately complex care.”
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Even though critics argued the health-care dollars should be focused on funding the operations of hospitals already built but vacant, Sherwood Park was promised a new 72-bed facility in 2005.
Much to most residents’ dismay, the province has now built a health centre with no overnight beds.
In the face of criticism from Duckett and others over the system, Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky has pointed to his “aggressive” five-year plan that aims to reduce wait times, unblock emergency beds and improve the experiences of patients and doctors.
Duckett was named president of Alberta Health Services in January 2009, but last November, he refused to speak with reporters when asked about concerns over long ER waits – saying he was busy eating a cookie.
At the time, the perception was that he was dismissed days after his cookie comments.
However, a settlement agreement released this year states that AHS and Duckett “mutually agreed” to end his employment.
After Duckett’s departure from AHS, Zwozdesky said he’s not going to stop offering his input to the government-appointed board when necessary. “I am the one accountable and responsible for health services in the final analysis because the public expects me to be.”
After he left his post, it was Duckett who first alleged government MLAs committed a breach of trust by allegedly helping their politically connected friends and family receive preferential treatment.
Zwozdesky rejected the idea, suggesting Duckett’s views may be based on rumour and innuendo. The RCMP looked into the allegation, but said they found little to support a wider investigation.
On Wednesday, Duckett said it’s important for him to speak directly to the leadership candidates because “there’s a new leader who can start afresh.”
He writes to them all, “there is no quick fix, magic wand or set of soothing words which will make it all better.”
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