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Published: September 19, 2021
-Western Standard
It’s time to call in the army for COVID-19 help for Alberta.
That’s the message from the four biggest health care unions in a letter to Premier Jason Kenney.
“We are writing today as the presidents of Alberta’s largest health care unions and Alberta’s largest worker advocacy group to urge you in the strongest possible terms to call on the federal government to immediately deploy the military, the Red Cross and all available medical staffing resources from other provinces to assist our province’s overwhelmed hospitals,” the letter reads.
It was signed by the presidents of the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) and the Canadian Union of Provincial Employees (CUPE).
“There are no more nurses in our province who can be deployed. There are no more paramedics,” said the letter.
“The tank is empty. The well is dry.
“So please, on behalf of our beleaguered members on the front-line of this crisis, and on behalf of all Albertans, we are officially asking you to request help from the federal government.”
The letter was also sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and opposition leader Rachel Notley.
Earlier in the pandemic, the military was called in to help in long term care centres in Eastern Canada and the north.
Alberta hospital ICUs have been at near capacity under assault from the fourth wave of COVID-19, being driven by the Delta variant.
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