The spring sitting of the Alberta Legislature was originally scheduled to last until June, but the Tories pulled the plug in April, months early. There are still many questions left unanswered. If the Legislature were still in session this week, as it should have been, this is one of the questions we would have asked:

Health care is still the main concern for many Albertans, especially in smaller and rural communities. Cold Lake is one community that is having serious difficulties recruiting and retaining physicians, finding enough registered nurses, and securing enough funding from Alberta Health Services for new stretchers, bedside monitors, a new CT scanner, and an updated fire and alarm system.
To the Premier

1. Every Albertan needs a family doctor, and Cold Lake is already short six full-time physicians.  Why is the Premier allowing medical school positions to be cut when it is clear that Alberta needs more doctors?

2. Why is Alberta Health Services not hiring the needed number of registered nurses for the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre, when this inaction is already having serious consequences for the people of Cold Lake?

3. Will the necessary funds for the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre’s needed equipment be included in the 2010 Health Capital Plan, which has already been delayed by almost 2 months?

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