For the rich
Re: “Wildrose would pay for certain medical procedures at private clinics,” Herald Online, April 5.
I am puzzled by Danielle Smith’s promise of reducing surgery wait times for procedures such as knee and hip replacements by sending patients out of province if needed. Smith stated that the patient would receive the amount of money that would have covered the cost of surgery in Alberta. The difficulty with this promise is that the patient would be financially responsible for flights and living expenses until he or she would be able to fly home.
After a major joint replacement, flying is not recommended for several weeks, so the only people who would be able to afford this would be the wealthy, people who could pay for the additional expenses. It is not a solution that would apply to the average Albertan.
Increasing capacity within our province so that everyone would be able to receive surgery in a timely way, near their current support systems and the health support already in place, makes a lot more sense. Like many campaign promises, it makes a good sound bite, but doesn’t provide a solution.
Mary Maclean, Calgary