Supporting health care in rural Alberta

Posted on August 19, 2021 by admin

Dear Editor: Over the next several years, we are spending over $3 billion on everything from paving hospital parking lots to building brand new hospitals.

Hundreds of millions of those dollars go to fixing hospitals and clinics by paying for new windows, nurse call systems and air conditioning units that keep an entire building cool during heat waves like we experienced this summer.

Over and above this funding, Alberta’s government is spending millions on brand new projects that benefit rural Albertans.

Rural living, and the freedom and independence it affords, is a way of life many Albertans love and embrace; but it also means being further away from the health care services people from the city take for granted.

To address that problem, we have announced a new $50 million fund for projects from Brooks to Wetaskiwin, Cardston to Slave Lake and all across Alberta, for revamping rural emergency departments, building new and larger ambulance bays, upgrading labs and new surgical equipment.

These are just some of the projects we have underway that will improve the lives of rural Albertans and increase access to health care services. More announcements will be coming in the weeks and months to come.

Tyler Shandro, Alberta minister of Health.