Edmonton-based board member quits HQCA in protest over Bill 30

A professor at the University of Alberta, who teaches both law and pharmacy, resigned Monday from the Health Quality Council of Alberta because of a proposed government bill.

“I resigned in protest against changes to the Health Quality Council of Alberta Act that’s contained in Bill 30,” Ubaka Ogbogu told Global News, shortly after writing the Lieutenant Governor.

He said his concern is with how the HQCA Bill 30 takes away the board’s independence where patient safety is considered. He said it also ends the body’s ability to be non-partisan, because of minister’s representative will be on the board.

“If the minister is allowed to direct that function as he wants, that will fundamentally in my opinion change the HQCA and essentially render it to the judgment of the whim of the minister,” Ogbogu said.

“Whenever the evidence leads them to report dispassionately, I can’t imagine that any report that comes out of the organization that (the) minister doesn’t like will ever see the light of day, if you have someone who’s an official on the board.”

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In his letter, Ogbogu said he resigned because the government did not notify or consult with the HQCA prior to tabling the bill. His hope in going public would highlight the problems, and result in having the changes reversed.

“It’s a pattern of behaviour that I’ve noticed over time on the board,” he told Global News. “It led me to decide to do this.”

Minister Tyler Shandro said Alberta’s legislation will have it’s relationship with the Health Quality Council align in a similar way that you see in other provinces.

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“It gives us the opportunity to work better with the HQCA as well as the other changes we made to the legislation,’ he explained to reporters Monday afternoon at a funding announcement for lab work.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity of working with the HQCA, same as many other jurisdictions do with their health quality councils, to do that work. I think this is a great opportunity for us.”

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Ogbogu took to social media after he resigned to urge the public to speak up. “Call your MLA. Fight back. Make good trouble.”