The president of the union that represents 28,000 health-care professionals in Alberta is calling on the provincial government to better support the sector’s workers.
Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) held a press conference Jan. 17, where he outlined three demands the union is putting on the government.
“HSAA members have been and will continue to be there when Albertans need care,” he said. “But a decade of government inaction to ensure we have enough health-care professionals is taking a toll.”
According to Parker, the week of Jan. 11 started with 266 unfilled paramedic shifts across the province.
Meanwhile, he said three labs in Edmonton were shut down indefinitely this past weekend due to staff shortages.
The HSAA’s three demands, Parker outlined in the press conference, include improved physical protections for health-care workers in the form of proper personal protective equipment (PPE), more comprehensive protection of employees’ mental health and well-being, and an improved plan to recruit and retain health-care professionals.
On the PPE front, Parker claimed he has heard many complaints from HSAA members who have not received KN95 respirators from their employers, despite a provincial government promise fitted masks would be in place.
“Anyone working in the public should have access to an N95 mask immediately,” Parker said. “We need to ensure our members stay healthy and aren’t taking on the additional strain of worrying about bringing COVID back to their families.”
According to Parker, HSAA members have been under significant strain in the last decade with heavy workloads, long hours and significant psychological strain.
The HSAA president said it is customary for paramedics to respond to 10-to-15 calls a day, and then be dispatched to another long response during their drive home.
“Despite the incredibly difficult times we’re in and the end unknown, the health-care professionals in this province continue to show up,” he said. “It’s what we do and who we are, but we need to be supported by this government and our employers.”
Among the HSAA’s three demands include promised psychological safety measures, such as more days off, an appropriate workload, and not facing punishment if they cannot come into work.
“We have pressure from employers to aggressively encourage our folks back to work again,” he said.
A recent HSAA survey indicated 40 per cent of union members responded would consider reducing their hours or leaving the health-care sector completely, according to Parker.
He claimed most weeks in Alberta see over 200 vacant paramedic shifts.
“If we’re going to recruit to solve these issues, we need a health-care system that people want to work in,” he said. “That means a strong public sector system that treats its workers like the heroes they truly are.
“COVID and the opioid crisis are making the current situation worse, but it’s been deteriorating for a long time,” he added. “A health-care system should be built to withstand a crisis, and that requires adequate resources, including people.
“All Alberta health-care workers need the help of this government so we can continue to be there for all Albertans.”
