The Alberta government responded to heavy public pressure on problems in health care with an infusion of over $2 billion extra in the provincial budget announced February 9th.
ìWe were told to expect layoffs, hundreds of nursing jobs were disappearing with unfilled vacancies, and the employers had asked for a special voluntary exit payment deal to encourage more nurses to leave,î notes UNA President Heather Smith.
"That all changed with the budget, and more nursing vacancies are being posted again, it was great news," she said.
UNA members had strongly supported the Alberta Friends of Medicare More Health Cuts: Wrong Way! campaign which fanned public concern about cuts and chaos in the health system. Over the summer of 2009 nurses held Wrong Way marches in cities and towns from High River to Redwater. Nurses met with many government MLAs and the health minister to express their concern with health cuts.
There's no doubt the Conservative government, despite having a huge majority, realized that health care was a serious problem threatening them in the polls. The Wildrose Alliance, a new ìcut-even-moreî party is threatening the Conservatives. But the health care issue was the biggest concern of Albertans.
"Advocacy pays off," says Heather Smith. "The government was absolutely forced to move on health care by the tremendous action by nurses, and activists, and by the outrage of Albertans generally."
Health policy concerns remain however. The $2 billion is NOT as large as the 17% increase that is frequently reported. Most of it covers previous health debts and deficits. The government also recently announced it is contracting a large number of surgeries and procedures to private hospitals and facilities. It is also pressing ahead with a new Alberta Health Act. Discussions for the new act include an ominous reference to "defining basic services." Most observers expect the act to pave the way for more private delivery of what the government always refers to as "publicly-funded" health care. |
