Alberta losing top public health docs

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Alberta losing top public health docs just as West Nile virus season

begins

Wed, 2008-06-11 20:15.

By: Jim Macdonald, THE CANADIAN PRESS

http://www.610cktb.com/news/14/735358

EDMONTON - Alberta is losing three of its top public health doctors

just as the West Nile virus season is starting, and these medical

experts will be very hard to replace, say colleagues.

The Conservative government has yet to fully explain the departure of

acting chief medical health officer Dr. Grimsrud and two of her

colleagues. Their departure has created a buzz among public health

officials in other provinces.

Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, Dr. Ross Findlater, says

it's surprising to see such an exodus of public health doctors.

" You don't usually see a bunch of people leaving at once, " Dr.

Findlater said in an interview. " That's the unusual part of it. "

Findlater says this is a busy time of year for medical health

officers with the summer months and the onset of West Nile virus.

" These people are hard to replace, " he said. " We've had a deputy

chief medical health officer position open for more than two years. "

Dr. Darryl LaBuick, head of he Alberta Medical Association, said

Tuesday that the departure of these public health experts " is fairly

critical " and leaves patients vulnerable.

But Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert told The Canadian Press

Wednesday that the loss of these doctors poses no risk to public

health because the public health branch remains " well staffed to meet

any of the requirements we have in the province. "

" We can't start talking about, 'Well, what if something

happens,'because I'm not getting into the what ifs, " he said.

Liepert told reporters Tuesday that the such doctors are in high

demand and Alberta couldn't keep pace with competing offers.

But one of the doctors immediately contradicted the minister, saying

she has no other job in the works.

" It's not all about money. It's a combination of things, " said Dr.

Ameet Singh. Her contract expires in August.

Liepert insisted Wednesday that he didn't mean to leave the

impression that the doctors were leaving for other jobs. But he

refused to discuss specifics of their departure.

He also repeated his assertion that the province simply couldn't

match the salary levels that are " out there " for these doctors.

Premier Ed Stelmach and Liepert both said they don't know what the

doctors are paid compared to people in the same position in other

provinces.

However, Stelmach offered high praise for the doctors who are

leaving. He says they had " tremendous input into health policy. "

Stelmach also suggested the province is being cautious about salary

increases for any government employees because other public sector

workers are also looking for raises.

" I keep hearing from the public, 'Your spending 40 per cent of your

budget on health. What if the economy starts to slide, how can you

support this? " ' said Stelmach.

" We've got to find the balance someplace in terms of what we expect

from our revenue stream into the future. "

Recently, Stelmach and his 23-member cabinet voted themselves a 30

per cent pay increase, making them the best paid provincial

politicians in Canada.