Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals have a moral and professional responsibility to advocate on behalf of better patient care. 

Cancer doctors in both Calgary and Edmonton have from time to time spoken out about the need for expanded cancer care in these centres. Yesterday Alberta Health Services forbade cancer physicians at the Tom Baker in Calgary from speaking publicly about the need for new cancer facilities. To the Minister of Health and Wellness: does the minister agree with the health superboard forbidding cancer doctors from commenting on capacity problems at the Tom Baker cancer centre?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I’m very aware of what the needs are for cancer treatment and cancer patients in general in Calgary. I was just there and visited the Tom Baker centre, and I’m pretty on top of the issue. I don’t know what the hon. member is driving at here. I’m not familiar with the directive that he’s referring to. But what I would just say quickly, Mr. Speaker, is that if it’s a policy matter, whoever is asking that question should direct it to the Health Services people. If it’s medical, ask the doctors.

Dr. Swann: I’m disappointed, Mr. Minister. You know there’s a culture of intimidation and fear in this province around health care workers speaking out.

Do you support that gag order, or do you not?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know of any gag order. I’ve been out talking to doctors. They’re talking very openly, very freely with me. They’re talking very openly with the Health Services people. I’ve talked with the nurses. I’ve talked with the optometrists. I’ve talked with pharmacists. I’ve talked with a whole bunch of people. There are 90,000 people out there, and I may get to talk to every one of them yet.

Dr. Swann: Denial, denial, denial, Mr. Minister.

This is the same week that the superboard blocked the full release of the report from the Health Quality Council. Does the minister agree that the superboard is spinning out of control and blocking information from Albertans, including that from health professionals?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, nobody is blocking any information whatsoever. I spoke with Alberta Health Services yesterday. I spoke with the Health Quality Council yesterday. They said they had some privacy concerns related to the parameters of the Alberta Evidence Act and the Health Information Act, issues of privacy that are being resolved. I said: well, speed it up, please, so that we can get the report out to the public. They’re going to do that in nine days.

The Speaker: Second Official Opposition main question. The hon. Leader of the Official Opposition.

Long-term Care in Grande Prairie

Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In 2006 this government committed to fund a new long-term care facility in Grande Prairie. It promised $4.6 million. A total of $2.3 million was paid to Chantelle Management to get the building under way to replace the outdated and unsafe Grande Prairie care centre. In this facility it takes 45 minutes to get all 60 patients down to the main floor. Families must be praying that a fire doesn’t break out in the future.

To the Minister of Seniors and Community Supports: why has no work been started on this facility in the four years since the $2.3 million was transferred?

The Speaker: The hon. minister.

Mrs. Jablonski: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I understand there are a number of circumstances around this project, but I believe that they are in the process of getting started. We will follow up with our office to see where they are in this process.

Dr. Swann: Well, how is the minister accounting for the funds distributed through this affordable supportive living initiative when it seems that the residents of Grande Prairie are still waiting for action after four years of this company having 2.3 million public dollars?

Mrs. Jablonski: Mr. Speaker, we have a program in my department called the affordable supportive living initiative. There are a number of criteria that organizations have to meet in order to be able to get the funding. One of the criteria is that they’re able to go into the ground within nine months of receiving the funding, and the second one is that they’re finished within two years of receiving that funding. That part of our program has been in process in the last two years.

Dr. Swann: I assume, then, that the minister is acknowledging that she doesn’t know what’s happened to that $2.3 million. To the Minister of Health and Wellness. The Premier stated earlier that the minister is travelling to Grande Prairie. Will the minister commit to visiting this centre and ensuring that he understands the need for urgent change in that facility?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, if the schedule allows, I’d certainly welcome the opportunity to do that. We’re visiting Grande Prairie. I’ll also be visiting High Prairie. We’re on a tight schedule so that I can come back here for question period that same day, but we’ll do the best we can.

Alberta Hansard, March 11, 2010

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