‘Province just throwing money around not addressing core issues says critic’
Alberta’s health superboard will increase spending to create more seniors’ continuing-care beds reduce emergency room wait times and hire more staff.
This week Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett revealed the health authority’s annual budget which includes a $300-million spending increase to $11.8 billion for 2011.
AHS is committing $81 million to create 1100 new senior care spaces a move Duckett says will free up hospital beds. Another $50 million will go towards trimming Albertans’ wait times in emergency rooms.
Earlier this year the province handed AHS $1.3-billion to cover unpaid bills and committed to a five-year funding plan.
Critics say the health authority is just throwing money around and ignoring serious problems with long-term care mental health and acute-care lineups.
“Considering the size of the budget I don’t think they’re using the money in the most wise way” says David Eggen executive director of Friends of Medicare. "I just don’t see them having a coherent plan emerging to tackle the problems that are most pressing the health-care system.”
