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The agency insists that health-care funding cannot be used to support hospital parking.

In 2014-15, AHS took in $75 million in parking revenues, and was left with $18 million to deposit in a reserve fund that now sits at more than $60 million.

“At our long-term care sites, AHS has reduced parking rates for patients and visitors,” AHS CEO Dr. Verna Yiu said in a recent letter to the editor. “Monthly parking passes are available to patients and visitors at facilities across the province, at rates well below market value. As well, AHS provides compassionate parking passes to people facing financial hardship on a case-by-case basis. Some of our facilities also have volunteer driver programs, which offer free transportation.”

Instead of attempting to mitigate the damage to patients and visitors, AHS should simply do the right thing and axe the fees, which amount to a tax on the sick. These are public facilities on public land, so this notion that people have to pay for the privilege doesn’t make sense. It’s also unfortunate that people in genuine need are forced to go cap in hand to seek an exemption to the fees.

Kennedy’s efforts are supported by the Wildrose, which created its own petition in August calling for free parking for the first two hours at hospitals across Alberta.

Kennedy’s situation illustrates what’s at stake. He began his petition after his mother paid almost $600 for hospital parking over six weeks while visiting him when he was being treated for a rare form of leukemia.

“There’s something wrong with that,” Kennedy said. “It’s profiteering. The meters are an obstacle between patients and their treatment, and it’s reprehensible.”

He’s right, of course. The gouging of the ill and their well-wishers must end.