Alberta Health Services Decision-making, continued (March 11)
Dr. Taft: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions will be to the Minister of Health and Wellness.
Yesterday cancer doctors at the Tom Baker cancer centre were ordered by Alberta Health Services to stop raising concerns publicly about capacity problems at the Tom Baker cancer centre. This was widely reported.
My first question to the minister: is the minister aware or not that this gag order was given?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I’m not aware of any gag order, but I am aware, just as of a few minutes ago, of a clipping that just got delivered to me on this subject, so I’d be happy to take a look and see what actually happened.
As I said earlier, I think doctors should feel very free to comment on medical issues, and people at Alberta Health Services should feel free to comment on policy-driven issues.
Dr. Taft: Okay. Mr. Speaker, this is clearly a medical issue. This is about the capacity to provide cancer treatment in Calgary. Will the minister order Alberta Health Services to reverse this gag order and let the physicians speak about these concerns?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, as I just said, I’ll take a look and see what it is that the member is referring to.
I want to just go back to what I said a little earlier this week, and that was that the whole issue of what kind of health-related facilities are needed and in which part of the province, for what purpose, will be reviewed very thoroughly and is being reviewed very thoroughly as we speak. It will be all announced at the end of this month.
Dr. Taft: Well, Mr. Speaker, secrecy is the enemy of accountability. Openness is what’s needed here, and it’s needed throughout the health care system. Does the minister understand that physicians and nurses need the right to openly advocate for patient care and that the public has a right to know?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I do understand that. I understand it very well. That’s why we have the Health Quality Council working with Alberta Health Services as we speak on the release of a detailed report regarding the four unfortunate incidents that occurred last year at the hospital in Calgary. We’ll continue that discussion.
Alberta Hansard, March 11, 2010