| As Alberta’s first private, overnight stay surgery clinic waits for the provincial health minister’s rubber stamp, health critics are questioning whether such clinics can meet their stated goal of reducing waiting lists and saving money.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta gave the green light to Calgary’s Health Resource Centre last week to complete overnight surgeries like hip and knee replacements.
Howard May, a spokesperson for Alberta Health and Wellness, says Health Minister Gary Mar is reviewing every aspect of the company’s application before it can proceed under rules set out by last year’s controversial Bill 11.
Critics of Bill 11, however, say there’s no way the clinic can reduce waiting lists in Alberta’s current health system.
Liberal health critic Kevin Taft, says a shortage of health care professionals means such private clinics will undoubtedly draw surgeons, anestheticians and nurses from the public system, so giving them a new facility won’t shorten waiting lists.
"They’re going to drain resources from the public system," he explains.
"I liken it to a grocery store check-out counter with a long line. They open up a new till, but they don’t staff it. You’ll have the same workers trying to manage both tills."
Taft says similar experiments in Britain have shown to cost the system more money, and do nothing for waiting lists – except, in some cases, make them worse.
He adds that because the new clinic will only be allowed to perform simple and low-risk surgeries, complicated surgeries will be left to the public system at the same time some professionals are drawn to the private system.
Taft also has concerns about what will happen when problems arise and emergency surgery is required, considering that the clinic is not in close proximity to any hospitals.
"If you go into cardiac arrest on the operating table, would you rather be in a small clinic or a major hospital?"
Alberta New Democrat leader Raj Pannu is also speaking out against the clinic. He says the approval process is too secretive, and it is simply catering to the lobby of "a group of well-connected Calgary investors."
May, however, says all such criticisms will be looked at when Mar investigates Health Resource Centre’s application, which it hasn’t even received yet.
"Cost is not the only consideration. (Mar) is looking at it from a broader perspective," he adds.
"If it’s going to shorten waiting lists, for example, that would be seen as a positive thing for the health system.. But there are a number of factors to look for." |
