The Alberta Liberal Caucus’ website, liepertmustgo.ca, continues to attract over 200 visits per day and has now received close to 1000 submissions from Albertans who are sharing their experiences with Alberta Health Services under the current Minister.

The Liberal Caucus has appealed last week’s order by the Legislature Assembly Office to take down the site, as I consider it our job as Alberta’s Official Opposition to help Albertans speak out on the issues of concern and to amplify their voices. I believe passionately in the power of voices united.

What we’ve heard is very concerning. I’ve included a few quotes from stories we’ve received below.

We’re not asking for Ron Liepert to be removed as MLA, only as Health Minister. This is an issue of policy, not personality.

With the recent announcement of an impending cabinet shuffle, we will soon find out if Ed is listening.

Albertans deserve better – and will get it if they persist.

David

Visit liepertmustgo.ca

Excerpts taken from liepertmustgo.ca:

“I am a medical Resident who works in Calgary. I have seen firsthand the devastation the health reforms and mismanagement […] While on ICU, we had a patient who had been waiting for transfer to the ward for so long that he was actually ready for discharge from ICU. Only he needed 3 additional days of ORAL antibiotics. We tried to give him a script for the drugs, but being homeless, he could not afford to fill the prescription. The inpatient pharmacy is now restricted in terms of giving meds to patients at discharge (ie. they can dispense one day’s worth, but not more – because of budget cuts). So this gentleman, with no medical bed (only an ICU bed) was required to stay in ICU for 3 additional days, because the hospital would not give him $25 of antibiotics (The Math: 3x $2000/day ICU stay = $6000 cost, because we can’t give him $25 of free antibiotics)”

“My mother (68 years old) was on the waiting list for a routine colonoscopy for two years before she was called for an appointment. The terrible thing about this situation was that she was diagnosed with colon cancer before she was able to get the colonoscopy.”

“I used to work as an RN in Alberta. I saw more and more RNs on my unit being replaced by LPNs. It was getting so dangerous for the patients that I had to leave; I couldn’t work in an environment where money was more important than patient safety and their lives. The LPNs were nowhere near knowledgeable or competent enough to deal with the high acuity of the patients. None of them were