| Health report could herald big change |
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| Local Content - Editorial |
| Written by production |
| Thursday, 04 February 2010 17:52 |
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It is not every day when a committee is drafted to take a comprehensive look at a province’s health-care system. It is also not every day when someone at a local level is in on the ground floor of such a debate. However, that was just the case when Municipal District of Taber Coun. Don Johnson was part of the Minister’s Advisory Committee on Health, which released its report last month. The report, which still has many steps to go before any real change is implemented, is certainly a step in the right direction. Health legislation in Alberta is outdated, and the modern system is in need of a few tweaks. Those tweaks come in the form of six key recommendations, along with a few other important points. Three of those points are especially important — affirming the principles of the Canada Health Act in a newly-written Alberta Health Act, have core legislation related to public-funded health services and the development of an Alberta patient charter. Keeping health care public, and ensuring all Albertans have the same access to the same quality services, should, and has been stressed as a crucial element to our system. Having an Alberta Health Act which states that goal, would go a long way towards easing the fears many have had over the last few years of behind-the-scenes schemes to privatize portions of the system. An Alberta patient charter is another positive, as it could hold the medical system accountable, and ensure a minimum level of service is provided to all. It would also give residents an opportunity to ask key questions about their care, and go a long way to increasing transparency and building trust. A push is also on the way to put more power back in the health minister’s office, as some have felt Alberta Health Services (AHS) has grown too powerful and lacks accountability. That would be another positive move, as elected officials are simply more accountable to the public than a centralized AHS hierarchy. In the end, the committee has ensured Canadians the health-care system will cost us less, and be more effective should its report be endorsed and acted upon. Let us hope our politicians give the report their full attention, offer any constructive feedback they can, and get on with the business of improving health care, sooner rather than later. |