From today’s Question Period at the Legislature:

Dr. Swann: Events that played out this weekend in Calgary displayed the chaos and inconsistency that is plaguing Alberta’s health system. One day Alberta Health Services will not accept funds from a donor; the next day they will. The impact the uncertainty of this laser surgery has had on patients who are waiting and on professionals has not been positive.

 To the Premier: how can the Premier justify two laser suites in Edmonton, while Calgary is forced through neglect to go hat in hand to the private donors?

 Mr. Stelmach: The board of Alberta Health Services made decisions based on evidence brought forward by medical professionals. Since then, I believe there has been a corporate donor that has stepped forward that is willing not only to cover the cost of the laser machine but also the operating costs for the next year. This will give the board time to review many of the other difficult decisions that they have to make over the next 12 months.

 Dr. Swann: Well, how can the Premier defend the absolute incompetence this situation has revealed in Calgary regarding keeping prostate surgery available in that city?

 Mr. Stelmach: Once again, the board has delegated the responsibility and the authority to make decisions based on the provision of health services across the province of Alberta. Again, the board listens to the input from health professionals that bring forward their opinions on the best delivery, and they made the decisions based on that evidence.

 Dr. Swann: Well, let’s try the health minister, then. How does this minister defend this incompetence in threatening the very program of laser surgery that would reduce complications, wait times, reduce quality of care in the city of Calgary?

 Mr. Liepert: Well, we’ve made no apologies for the fact that we have a situation that the Alberta Health Services Board is going through in terms of analyzing and assessing all of the different procedures and programs that were in place in the various regions in the province. The Alberta Health Services Board is about to produce their budget to their health board in the

very near future, and within that budget will be a number of funding requirements, and this may very well be one of them.