Dr. Swann: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My heart goes out to all Albertans whose surgery has been delayed because of this government’s mismanagement of the health care system. 

We support reducing wait times and wait-lists. Our concern is the way this government is handling and accomplishing this task. Of the hip and knee surgeries announced yesterday, 83 per cent are going to be performed at a premium at for-profit corporate health centres. To the Minister of Health and Wellness: will the minister tell Albertans how much of the $8 million boost is going to for-profit hip and knee surgery providers?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the point here is that people who are enduring long waiting lists don’t have to wait as long anymore because we’re speeding things up. I have asked for a cost-benefit analysis to be done. That’s being done because I want to make sure that for the services we’re providing to Albertans, we’re getting fair dollar value. At the same time I want to assure Albertans that regardless of where they get that surgery performed, it’s fully covered by this government.

Dr. Swann: Well, again to the same minister: why are we giving so much less to public institutions versus for-profit private providers?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I think that if you took an analysis of the $9 billion – that’s with a B for Bob, $9 billion – that we’re putting into Alberta Health Services’ budget, with the increase that we’ve given them, guaranteed 6 per cent over the next three years after we’ve adjusted their base, you would find that by far the largest amount of that money is going into public institutions and publicly funded services.

Dr. Swann: The minister seems to be able to provide exact numbers of procedures for the funding to each institution, but he will not give us the exact dollar amount. Will you present the House with a dollar amount that’s going to the private versus the public system in this $8 million?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, as soon as those surgeries are performed and accomplished, that’s public information. Everyone has access to it. This is an open and transparent process. What we’ve done is work with those providers, those professionals, those surgeons, those surgical teams, and the list goes on, all across the province. They’re the ones who deserve the credit for stepping up to the plate and saying: yes, we will work some weekends to accomplish this; yes, those of us who are working part-time will work more full-time hours. Those who are already working fulltime will work some overtime to help accomplish this for Albertans.

Alberta Hansard, February 17, 2010

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