By rdnewsNOW Staff

Questions AHS ICU Bed Capacity

MLA Stephan reiterates request for public inquiry into harms of COVID-19 restrictions

Nov 4, 2021 | 2:05 PM

Red Deer-South MLA Jason Stephan made a member statement in the Alberta legislature this week, reiterating his requests for a public inquiry, including a full-cost analysis of the harms of COVID-19 restrictions on children and young adults.

Stephan also asked why, on a per capita basis, does Alberta Health Services (AHS) not even produce half the number of ICU beds as the lowest of the US states.

Stephan suggested trust would increase if AHS was more honest in acknowledging, ‘its own failings’.

Stephan’s statement was as follows:

“The truth is non-partisan.

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Since last spring I have asked for an independent, comprehensive public inquiry, including a full-cost analysis of the harms of COVID restrictions on children and young adults.

Young Albertans are not “overwhelming our health care system”.

We spend about $23 billion on this system, among the highest per capita in Canada.

Why, with this massive amount of money, can AHS only produce ICU beds, on a per capita basis, that is not even half of the worst of the US states?

Trust would increase if AHS was more honest in acknowledging its own failings.

Let’s give Alberta families and individuals a voice! Where there is a famine of truth; contention fills the void.

Dividing, labelling, compelling, and coercing others destroys trust. Seeking to misrepresent others or twist their words is wrong.

Some make sweeping judgements about others who do not agree with their opinions, framing them as extremists, seeking to vilify them. This is not how things really are. The truth about our neighbors is more complex, more nuanced, each of them possessing unique contexts and circumstances, all of which can be valued and respected.

Mercifully a loving God views all of us, His children, by our eternal possibilities and in our best possible ways.

Conflict is inevitable, contention is a choice. Choosing to do what is right makes us happier and better.”

Officials with AHS, however, say the organization has been successful in increasing hospital and ICU capacity throughout the pandemic, well above its baseline number of beds and ICU spaces.

“This is true of the fourth wave – at the peak last month, we had added 203 additional ICU surge spaces for a total of 376, more than double our baseline of 173 beds, and more than the total in Wave 2 or 3 (totals of 291 and 295 ICU spaces respectively),” reads a statement from AHS.

“We have been able to meet demand throughout all four waves of the pandemic, and continue to provide ICU care to all of those who need it,” the statement continues.

“Our baseline number of general adult ICU beds has always been adequate to care for Albertans, outside of the pandemic. As seen during all four waves, we have the ability to increase capacity as needed.

The numbers of beds and other healthcare resources in AB are comparable to other provinces based on the needs of our population.

It is not accurate to compare Alberta’s healthcare system to the U.S. system – the US healthcare system is organized and funded differently from Canada’s and serves a different population.

The US generally has far higher costs and more resources per capita, but many U.S. states have experienced severe pressure on their hospitals at different stages of the pandemic, similar to the pressure on hospitals in Alberta and some other provinces,” the statement concludes.