KENNEY FORCES LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISIONS ON FRONTLINE HEALTH WORKERS

EDMONTON – Jason Kenney’s weak and ineffective leadership is driving a devastating third wave of COVID-19 in Alberta and forcing frontline health care workers to prepare triage protocols.

According to CBC News, an internal memo from Alberta Health Services invites health care staff to a training session on the “Alberta Critical Care Triage Framework”, described as the province-wide protocols for what to do in the event demand for health care is greater than available health care resources. It describes the “difficult determination” of how to choose where to allocate life-saving resources.

“To put it more bluntly, health care workers are preparing for the moment they will have more patients than ventilators and they will have to decide who lives and who dies,” said NDP Health Critic David Shepherd.

“I feel for every health care worker who has put everything on the line this past year to care for Albertans in this pandemic and who will take this training for the first time knowing they will be making the best decisions they can to save lives but also knowing this decision wasn’t theirs. In fact, the decision was made weeks ago when Jason Kenney refused to act over Easter break and even as he refuses to act today.”

On Tuesday, Alberta recorded the province’s third-highest daily case count on record. There are currently 643 Albertans in hospital, 145 of whom are in the ICU. The rapid rise in cases prompted AHS to postpone thousands of surgeries and non-urgent procedures this week. 

When asked about the possibility of further restrictions on Tuesday, Kenney argued “the notion that there's a direct linear relationship between the restrictions and viral spread is not the experience of this pandemic." 

“It’s clear the Premier intends to push our hospitals to the brink and force life-and-death decisions on frontline health care workers,” said Shepherd “It’s obvious this strategy is not based on public health advice but rather his own party politics, his own MLA rebellion, and threats to his own leadership. To justify his inaction, he insults the intelligence of all Albertans by making excuses and telling lies.

“Enough is enough. This third wave is devastating and Albertans are running out of patience. It's time for the Premier to lead. The question is: does he have the guts to do the right thing?”