WATCH ABOVE: The NDP released documents Saturday that claim budget cuts have compromised health care in Alberta. But as Eric Szeto reports, health officials say the changes that were made are safe, cost effective measures.
EDMONTON – The Alberta NDP says funding cuts to health care are having a serious impact on patient safety.
Edmonton-Calder NDP candidate David Eggen released a leaked AHS PowerPoint presentation Saturday which outlines changes to the Northern Alberta Renal Program, which provides hemodialysis treatments to patients.
The presentation, which Eggen said was given to him by a concerned AHS employee, outlines changes to the classification of dialysis waste from biomedical waste to regular waste. According to AHS, it costs about $15 to discard dialysis waste such as dialyzers and tubes in approved biomedical waste containers, compared to just a couple dollars in garbage bags.
“We know from workers, the people who leaked this information, this is compromising the level of safety of both patients and workers, and it’s a result of this choice by the PCs to deliver bargain bin medicine. Rather than looking for safety first, they’re looking for cuts first,” Eggen said Saturday.
Dialysis waste is considered general waste as long as there are no sharps attached or dripping blood, the AHS presentation states. A spokesperson with AHS says the procedure complies with CSA standards.
“Items that have come in contact with blood, but do not contain blood, can be disposed of in general waste. Any items containing blood continue to be disposed of in biomedical waste,” Shelly Willsey said in an email to Global News.
Willsey said the disposal of the dialysis system as biomedical waste costs more than four times as much as general waste disposal. She added that AHS continuously looks for ways to reduce spending while maintaining safe environments for patients.
Health Minister Stephen Mandel says Albertans expect the government to save money where possible and the health care system should make every effort to be as efficient as possible.
“If it’s proven to be clear and not any danger then we should do it the most effective and expeditious way,” said Mandel.
“Historically, I think that we’ve followed a process of being very cautious,” he added “We will never ever give direction on something that is not within the mandate of safety and security, nor will we give a mandate that would have any kind of implications to the environment.”
The president of the HSAA, the union that represents 25,000 paramedical technical, paramedical professional and general support employees, is extremely concerned with the system.
“In my experience, blood is considered a bio-hazard and should be disposed as such,” said Elisabeth Ballermann. “I showed this document and this waste to a member that I was with who is a lab technologist and her response was, ‘Oh my God.’ Her immediate concern was for the safety of anybody and everybody who might be handling this thing.”
Ballermann is worried that removing the sharps from the tubes may result in injury for staff members. She’s also concerned about the process of flushing the blood out of the tubes.
“They’re saying red is bad, pink is good,” she said. “Any normal saline that I’ve seen that they would flush the tube with has always been clear. That suggests that there’s still visible blood left in the lines… Viruses and bacteria aren’t usually visible to the naked eye.”
Eggen is calling for a review on the entire practice.
“This bargain bin medicine is the lowest possible safety standard. Front line workers are doing the best they can but they have no choice but to be getting rid of human biomedical waste in ‘robust’ garbage bags,” said Eggen.
With files from Eric Szeto, Global News.
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