AUPE launches campaign for redevelopment of Alberta Hospital Edmonton
EDMONTON – Alberta Union of Provincial Employees President Guy Smith launched a new advocacy campaign today called Alberta Hospital Edmonton: It’s Time for Redevelopment.
“The title of the campaign says it all: it’s time to redevelop Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Alberta Health Services has the operating budget and public support they need for the hospital, so now it’s just a matter of making it an infrastructure priority,” said Smith.
Smith pointed out that AUPE’s petition, which was signed by approximately 30,000 Albertans last fall and tabled by all parties in the Legislature, specifically asked the government “to redevelop Alberta Hospital as necessary in order to maintain all services, programs and beds.”
“Thirty thousand Albertans signed a petition urging MLAs to redevelop Alberta Hospital Edmonton. Unfortunately, their wishes appear to have been ignored in this year’s budget, so we’re going to renew our campaign,” Smith said.
The campaign will be hosted at the original www.savealbertahospital.com Website, which has been updated with a new logo, an updated tool to send letters to MLAs, and a new research report arguing for the redevelopment.
“The government is planning to move the geriatric unit out of Alberta Hospital Edmonton, even though it will cost millions of dollars, break up the core group of psychiatric professionals and support staff at the hospital, and remove approximately 150 long term care beds from the health system,” said Smith.
“I see that as the first step in a long-term plan to close the hospital, so we need to put the brakes on this process. We’re trying to reach out to every Albertan who spoke up in our campaign last year, and the many Albertans who still aren’t familiar with the issue, despite the enormous media attention last fall.”
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For more information contact:
Guy Smith, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-265-2294 (mobile telephone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (mobile telephone)