Omicron variant adds to the threat of health-care collapse
EDMONTON – Staffing shortages and unfilled vacancies may cause chaos at Alberta hospitals over the holidays, it was revealed today (Tuesday, Dec. 21).
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) has learned that seven acute-care beds have been closed in Fairview Acute Care. The closure started on Dec. 13 and will last for a month until Jan. 16, 2022.
Meanwhile, four out of eight beds have been closed at the Northwest Health Centre in High Level and will remain closed until Jan. 22.
“Just as we should be preparing for a fifth wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing our health-care capability collapse,” says Sandra Azocar, vice-president of AUPE, which represents 95,000 workers, including 55,000 in health care.
“The fact that this government is relaxing restrictions while other provinces tighten them in the face of the Omicron variant make no sense. The UCP government has failed to learn from the catastrophic mistakes that promised Albertans the best simmer ever,” she says.
“The shortage of staff and the unfilled vacancies can largely be blamed on this government’s aggressive treatment of health-care workers and it’s failure to take the pandemic seriously,” says Azocar.
“Rural areas will be particularly hard hit, but the problems will flow into other centres in the province,” she adds.
“Our front-line members are already exhausted, burned out by nearly two years of pandemic chaos coupled with attacks on their wages and working conditions. This chaos has been fabricated by the government’s incompetence.”
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AUPE VP Sandra Azocar is available for interviews,
Please contact communications officer Terry Inigo-Jones at 403-831-4394 or t.inigo-jones@aupe.org