By Canadian Press

Health care a disaster that parties must address, says Alberta Medical Association president

May 24, 2023 | 8:49 AM

CALGARY – It’s one of the key issues at the ballot box in the Alberta election, but the two main parties vying to run the province’s sprawling health system can’t agree on the diagnosis, let alone the cure.

Full Election Coverage: Alberta Votes 2023

The provincial election is on Monday.

The United Conservatives say surgical wait times have been cut and new rules have reduced ambulance bottlenecks at the doors of emergency wards.

But the NDP says one only needs to take a look around to see hourly wait times in the double digits at emergency departments and a lack of family doctors for Albertans.

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Both sides agree that there’s more work to do as Alberta’s health system, like others across Canada, faces worker shortages amid the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Fredrykka Rinaldi, president of the Alberta Medical Association, says health care is a disaster and the parties must address the cause, not the symptoms.

Pollsters have said health care, along with the economy and trust, are key issues with Alberta voters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 24, 2023.

The Canadian Press