Read Letter - Centralization of Cytology and Ambulance Dispatch: A Really Bad Idea
By Tom Filgas
Written Mar. 25, 2010
A letter written to Ms. Bridget A. Pastoor, Lethbridge-East
Dear Bridget: I am writing another letter to you as you are my voice as the official opposition in the Alberta Legislature. Please bring my concerns to the attention of the House. Stelmach’s cabinet shuffle did nothing for public health care. Gene Zwozdesky is more of the same old, same old, Stelmach Conservative party line rhetoric and another step towards privatization in Klein’s third wave. In the Thursday, March 25th Lethbridge Herald article, Zwozdesky states that the decision was Liepert’s, not his, to close the cytology lab in Lethbridge Regional Hospital for pap tests send pap tests to a private company in Edmonton or quasi-public lab in Calgary. What are they thinking? We have a state of the art lab with highly trained health professionals, so why close it? Zwozdesky has the ministerial power to reverse Liepert’s decisions but appears to lack the integrity and intestinal fortitude to follow sound advice from health officials and leave this essential service in Lethbridge. Instead, this minister chooses to follow the old party line and obey his corporate handlers who are lobbying for private for profit American style health care. The Conservative’s strategy basically is to shut the front line health professionals up with a gag order, create an atmosphere of fear and secrecy among health care professionals, set the public system up for failure by causing staffing shortages, and chip away at the services offered by our public health care system. Closing the cytology lab is just one example of chipping away public health care. This is not acceptable and reinforces my resolve to see the Conservatives swept out of political power in the next election. The same can be said for the centralization of Lethbridge and area ambulance dispatch under the Conservative government. Zwozdesky passes the buck again by saying this was not his decision and that he won’t reverse Liepert’s decision. If the ambulance dispatch is anything like the centralized RCMP dispatch service out of Red Deer, good luck. For example, several years ago I required the services of the RCMP regarding a highway traffic incident between Lethbridge and Coaldale. The dispatcher asked, “Where is Coaldale?” When I explained it was east of Lethbridge along Highway 3 the dispatcher proceeded to ask me where Lethbridge was. I couldn't believe what I was hearing but this actually happened. It was a very frustrating experience. I can see the same thing happening when someone from the Lethbridge area requests ambulance service. This is another example of the Conservatives going in the wrong direction again. The ambulance service is best left as it is because the present system works very well as the local dispatchers know the area they serve. Mr. Zwozdesky, give your head a shake and do the right thing. Leave our ambulance service as is because your plan of action will not work. Mr. Zwozdesky will not attend the “public meeting” in Lethbridge but no matter, the whole super health board are a bunch of puppets controlled by the Conservative hatchet man, Duckett and his corporate handlers. The super board meeting at 1:15 p.m. today in County Hall at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital allows citizens to attend but not to pose questions or make presentations to the board. This is another example of “Conservative style democracy in action”, namely we'll tell what we're going to do whether it works or not, end of discussion. Why don’t they allow the citizens of Alberta the opportunity to ask questions or make presentations? The answer is obvious, they won't like what they hear. In a true democracy the citizens would be allowed to bring forth questions, and to offer logical solutions. The Conservatives are looking more and more like a bunch of facists. It’s time they are booted out of government and the sooner the better. Thank you.
Written Mar. 25, 2010
Dear Bridget: I am writing another letter to you as you are my voice as the official opposition in the Alberta Legislature. Please bring my concerns to the attention of the House. Stelmach’s cabinet shuffle did nothing for public health care. Gene Zwozdesky is more of the same old, same old, Stelmach Conservative party line rhetoric and another step towards privatization in Klein’s third wave. In the Thursday, March 25th Lethbridge Herald article, Zwozdesky states that the decision was Liepert’s, not his, to close the cytology lab in Lethbridge Regional Hospital for pap tests send pap tests to a private company in Edmonton or quasi-public lab in Calgary. What are they thinking? We have a state of the art lab with highly trained health professionals, so why close it? Zwozdesky has the ministerial power to reverse Liepert’s decisions but appears to lack the integrity and intestinal fortitude to follow sound advice from health officials and leave this essential service in Lethbridge. Instead, this minister chooses to follow the old party line and obey his corporate handlers who are lobbying for private for profit American style health care. The Conservative’s strategy basically is to shut the front line health professionals up with a gag order, create an atmosphere of fear and secrecy among health care professionals, set the public system up for failure by causing staffing shortages, and chip away at the services offered by our public health care system. Closing the cytology lab is just one example of chipping away public health care. This is not acceptable and reinforces my resolve to see the Conservatives swept out of political power in the next election. The same can be said for the centralization of Lethbridge and area ambulance dispatch under the Conservative government. Zwozdesky passes the buck again by saying this was not his decision and that he won’t reverse Liepert’s decision. If the ambulance dispatch is anything like the centralized RCMP dispatch service out of Red Deer, good luck. For example, several years ago I required the services of the RCMP regarding a highway traffic incident between Lethbridge and Coaldale. The dispatcher asked, “Where is Coaldale?” When I explained it was east of Lethbridge along Highway 3 the dispatcher proceeded to ask me where Lethbridge was. I couldn't believe what I was hearing but this actually happened. It was a very frustrating experience. I can see the same thing happening when someone from the Lethbridge area requests ambulance service. This is another example of the Conservatives going in the wrong direction again. The ambulance service is best left as it is because the present system works very well as the local dispatchers know the area they serve. Mr. Zwozdesky, give your head a shake and do the right thing. Leave our ambulance service as is because your plan of action will not work. Mr. Zwozdesky will not attend the “public meeting” in Lethbridge but no matter, the whole super health board are a bunch of puppets controlled by the Conservative hatchet man, Duckett and his corporate handlers. The super board meeting at 1:15 p.m. today in County Hall at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital allows citizens to attend but not to pose questions or make presentations to the board. This is another example of “Conservative style democracy in action”, namely we'll tell what we're going to do whether it works or not, end of discussion. Why don’t they allow the citizens of Alberta the opportunity to ask questions or make presentations? The answer is obvious, they won't like what they hear. In a true democracy the citizens would be allowed to bring forth questions, and to offer logical solutions. The Conservatives are looking more and more like a bunch of facists. It’s time they are booted out of government and the sooner the better. Thank you.
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