This is what we doctors are fighting for
Government reforms hurt patients, Sabrina Eliason says.
It could seem selfish that Alberta doctors are fighting with their provincial government. During a time of unprecedented unemployment, global financial crisis, and stark uncertainty for the future, some Albertans might feel that doctors are asking for “more” when there isn’t “any” for so many.
Despite government claims, doctors are not asking for more money for themselves. Doctors are asking to work with government to find ways to save money within the health-care system that prioritize patient care and limit the waste of existing infrastructure and labour. The government is refusing to listen. As a result, there is a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness among Alberta doctors that is over and above the general feeling of unwellness due to the current pandemic.
Every doctor in Alberta wants to see the health-care system improved and strengthened to serve the people we pursued this career to serve. I am a developmental pediatrician. I assess and diagnose children with disabilities. I have watched parents cry and agonize over the existing deficiencies of our public healthcare system, including prolonged wait times for specialized physician services; lack of drug coverage; poor availability of primary care; and difficulty accessing mental-health services.
Canada’s universal health-care system is built on a solid foundation but there are weeds in our enviable garden that have been growing for decades. Although the grass is greener on this side of the cross-border fence, our universal health-care system is in need of overdue reform.
This is why the current fight between Alberta doctors and our government is so important. The Alberta Medical Association, representing almost 14,000 doctors of the province, is asking for the opportunity to work with government to improve the cost-effectiveness of health care. The health-care system needs updating, but it needs to be informed by its stakeholders for change to have sustainable value. Instead, the government is attempting a “do-it-yourself” version of reform without consulting and even at times threatening and antagonizing doctors. The master agreement — essentially a marriage contract between the government and its doctors — was unilaterally dissolved by the government in February 2020 while front-line health-care workers were distracted preparing for the global pandemic.
The previous long-standing relationship between government and doctors in Alberta has become toxic.
Most recently, Bill 30 was passed asking taxpayers to buy in to a new (to us), more expensive way of providing health care that allows public funds to be used to deliver private for-profit health-care services. This format has shown to result in poorer health outcomes and at a higher overall expense to the system that further divides those who “have” from those who “have not.” Most recent examples of this include Ireland and Australia.
At the heart of the matter, the relationship between doctors and government is at its breaking point. If this continues, I worry that the health of Albertans and the health of our economy will suffer. The people who have already seen the cracks in our health-care system are at greatest risk of falling through without a safety net to catch them.
It might not be you. It might be that grandchild who is born with a heart condition; that friend who has an unexpected stroke; that co-worker whose child has autism. The next time you need a surgery, it might be at a for-profit chain that will give you advice based on what makes the most money for investors. If the Alberta government continues to refuse to work with doctors to find a mutually agreeable contract, the changes to health care will continue to prioritize profits of investors over the well-being of Albertans.
If you are unsure about the Alberta government’s actions in health care, know that the doctors are decidedly against the reforms and feel betrayed.
If you want to show support for your doctors, this is the time to stand up and say something. Write something. Call your MLA.
There are so many things in the world that are not in our control right now, but in this moment, the people of Alberta have the power to affect what is written in the next chapter on public health care in this province.