City launches push for 24-hour emergency care

Elected officials, health professionals, business leaders and concerned citizens will make up the new Airdrie Health Care Working Group, designed to plan for the future needs of the community.

“Airdrie is the largest city in Alberta, and one of the largest in Canada, without an emergency room or hospital,” said Airdrie-Chestermere MLA Rob Anderson, one of the individuals who spearheaded the group.

“With our population expected to double in the next 30 years, we need to gather these professionals to start making goals and plan a path to get to the ultimate goal, which is 24-hour emergency health care.”

Anderson said Airdrie will not get a hospital overnight but if the community works together and finds local solutions, a hospital could be built within the next decade.

“We are entrepreneurial group of people and we will partner with non-profit organizations, the City and private industries to make this happen,” he said.

“I don’t think residents care who pays for the bricks and mortar of the building as long as it provides effective health-care services to them.”

Alderman Allan Hunter agreed and is optimistic that 24-hour emergency care can be accessible to the community much sooner.

“There is no reason this can’t be done within a year,” he said.

“It’s not about spending a ton of money, it is about making good decisions. We have the facility already; we just need the people to run it 24 hours. It is a simple solution, it’s not about moving mountains.”

When Hunter had a heart attack and was in need of medical help, he said it was the fire service in Airdrie that saved his life, not the hospital in Calgary.

“We need to keep people in Airdrie because their success rate will be much higher,” said Hunter.

“It breaks my heart to see an ambulance at one of our seniors homes and to know that it is going to be at least a half hour before anyone treats that individual.”

Anderson said a hospital would become a reality more quickly under the Wildrose Alliance Party’s proposed decentralized, community-level health care delivery.

“This plan will speed up if we return control of local health care to local communities,” said Anderson.

“If we continue under current status quo, we will not have a hospital within the next 20 years.”

He said Airdrie needs to be willing to “pony up” to attract doctors to fill the medical centre.

“We can provide incentives to attract health care professionals to the community and to fundraise for the equipment we need. We can provide incentives such as discounts to the recreation centre, helping them find a home without high real estate fees. We need to make them want be a part of the community,” he added.

Hunter said the most important thing the government at any level does is look after kids and seniors.

“We have not been able to do that effectively in Airdrie and it is time to start,” he said.

“One of the solutions to health care is to listen to the people.”

He said the Airdrie Health Care Working Group will need the help of the entire community to find new and innovative ways to fundraise.

“It won’t happen if we don’t get together and start planning,” he said.

“It is time to take things into our own hands. I would ask community members to think of ideas to help attract health care professionals. Educate yourself about health care in your community,” said Anderson.