Edmonton - United Nurses of Alberta is raising concerns about comments made by Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Gary Mar supporting private health care.
At a meeting with the Edmonton Sun editorial board, Mar is reported to have said that he believes Albertans should be able to pay for private health care and jump long public wait lists. It is also reported that Mar also compared medical treatment to luxury items.
"Access to quality medical treatments is something that we hold dear as a fundamental Canadian value, not as an expensive luxury to be bought or sold," says UNA First Vice-President Bev Dick.
It was recently revealed that a Fort McMurray man was forced to travel to the United States to receive doctor recommended brain surgery after he was unable to received the same surgery in Alberta. The man's family had to mortgage their house and take out a $150,000 loan. The media is reporting that the family is now on the brink of losing their home.
"More private health care is not what Albertans are looking for" says Bev Dick. "We have seen the results of what increased private health care and public-private partnerships have meant for Albertans."
In July 2011, 29 seniors and veterans were threatened with eviction from the private Colonel Belcher Centre in Calgary because their care was not considered profitable for the company. In 2010, the private surgery clinic Health Resources Centre located in Calgary's former Grace Hospital declared bankruptcy, costing
Alberta Health Services over $2 million.
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