As a physician, I understand how serious the current outbreak of swine flu could be. 

Already, dozens of people across North America have lost family members, while many others are fighting the disease, some right here in Canada. On behalf of the Alberta Liberals, I extend our condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and our hopes and prayers to those battling the flu.

Because of swine flu concerns, increasing numbers of people with flu-like symptoms will be seeking medical care. Unfortunately, the Stelmach administration has allowed our public health care system to deteriorate, compromising our capacity to deal with a pandemic. And now, the Stelmach administration has frozen hiring of new physicians, refusing even to replace retiring doctors.

The Stelmach administration has disabled our health care system’s ability to deal with not only the routine needs of our growing population, but extra demands like pandemics that responsible governments must plan for.

Thus far, the only government response has been to ask Albertans to help stop the spread of infection via common-sense measures such as hand washing, staying home from work when feeling sick, and so on. This is good advice, but as a response to a threat as serious as this, it is woefully inadequate.

For months, the Official Opposition has warned that the Stelmach administration is causing dangerous chaos in our public health care system. The Premier must reverse the physician hiring freeze immediately and take rapid steps to increase the capacity of the health care system: more beds, more health care professionals, more public health officers with the skills to combat infrequent but potentially serious disasters such as pandemics. 

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