Medicine Hat hosptial's ER Dr. Paul Parks speaking out against changes to Alberta healthcare Wednesday. (CHAT News photo) Raising The Alarm Emergency room doctors: UCP is putting future of Albertans health at risk Mar 5, 2020 7:40 AM

MEDICNE HAT, AB – All thirty-six emergency room doctors from Medicine Hat and Lethbridge are calling on the UCP government to return to the negotiating table to avoid, “draconian and devastating effects on the foundation of Albertan’s medical care.”

The four-page letter states that doctors recognize the fiscal reality the province finds itself in and had voted to accept global decreases in fees before negotiations with the Alberta Medical Association were terminated by the government. It also adds the changes which are set to take effect on April 1, “risk rapidly destroying 20 years of health delivery progress in this province.”

Medicine Hat ER Dr. Paul Parks said the provincial government’s cuts to health care are putting Albertans on the path to a health care crisis.

“We’re really concerned that its going to have a major impact dealing with complex care issues, primary care issues and preventative medicine issues that, if neglected, are going to get more serious, more complex and pile up,” said Parks of the budget cuts, “and then have to come into the hospital for more expensive care.”