Emergency Medical Services (December 1)
Dr. Swann: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Emergency medical services is the canary in the mine of the health care system.
EMS workers have never had lower morale than since their mismanaged takeover by Alberta Health Services in 2009. Disturbing reports of serious delays in response, potentially preventable deaths along with frequent red alerts – a red alert is when no ambulance is available in the city – undermine safety as well as prevent professional morale from improving. To the minister: will the minister table in this House the cost of the transition of the EMS services to Alberta Health Services? What is the annual budget for EMS in the province?
Mr. Horne: Well, Mr. Speaker, as I’ve indicated to the hon. member, I don’t have that information at hand with me today. I’m not aware of a serious morale problem among EMS workers, generally, in the province. I am aware that there have been a number of changes in the last two years which have resulted in the consolidation and in some cases the change of operator in specific communities. As I’ve told the hon. member, I’ll be pleased to get whatever information I can and provide it to him either through question period or outside the House.
Dr. Swann: Indeed, we did raise this question earlier. Since the minister’s shallow reassurances what has he actually found out about the dire straits in emergency medical services?
Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, we don’t conduct reviews of operations in the health care system in my ministry by asking questions about dire straits. What we do is attempt to communicate on a regular basis with stakeholders both through Alberta Health Services and externally. We collect data where we can, and we provide that data in a forum that allows us to continuously improve the system. As I said, I’d be pleased to get the hon. member any information that I can and provide it to him.
Dr. Swann: Mr. Speaker, given that the Airdrie city council recently passed a motion and has been forced to keep its fire department responding to EMS calls because Alberta Health Services ambulances cannot meet the demand – I’m tabling their document today: 196 calls in six months; 50 per cent of the time the fire department arrives before the EMS team – will the minister admit that the EMS system is broken?
Mr. Horne: Mr. Speaker, what I will do is that I’d be pleased to consider the information that the hon. member is going to table today. I will take it at face value. I will investigate, and I will reply to him.
Thank you.
Alberta Hansard, December 1, 2011