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5/9/2009
Nearly a thousand people rallied in front of the Legislature this afternoon.
The "Stand up for Public Heath" event, organized by the Friends of Medicare, saw people from all over our province gathering together protesting for better healthcare. Executive Director, David Eggen says there are a couple main concerns - one is the capacity to care for seniors. He says, "the government made an about face on their seniors pharmacy plan within about four or five months and people haven't stopped organizing around that. They don't like what plan B was." The new plan has payments for seniors medication tiered according to their income.
David Eggen holds up a poster with Minister Ron Liepert on it. Beside his picture are some recent quotes of his.
Eggen says another concern revolves around the province's optimization review looking at rural hospitals around Alberta and the potential for those smaller hospitals to be closed.
The Chair of Seniors Task Force for public interest Alberta, Noel Somerville, says there is one important thing he hopes is achieved from the rally.
Noel Somerville addresses the hundreds of people at the rally.
"I'd like them to talk to their MLA's and tell them how ridiculous it is to freeze the number of long-term care beds in this province, when we have 1500 seniors who are urgently requiring those beds. They've been medically assessed, and they're sitting in hospitals. Hospitals are the worst place for them to be."
Somerville points out that hospitals are much more expensive then continuing care facilities, but he feels the provincial government isn't listening. (ly,blb)
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