Mason: Tories covering-up cancer care problems

May 16, 2011

Alberta's NDP Opposition leader Brian Mason says two new pieces of evidence expose a Tory cover-up of past negligence toward cancer patient care.

 “This is a first-class cover-up, and the whole Tory caucus is in on it," says Mason.  “The PC Caucus was told there were cancer care issues, and they did nothing. Yesterday, the whole PC Caucus voted against releasing information about wait lists and patient deaths. The health minister is driving the getaway car by refusing to call a public inquiry.”

 The Tories refused Monday to release information requested by the NDP on thoracic surgery wait times and deaths in the last decade. Then documents tabled in the Legislature that same day show that a doctor gave a presentation to the whole PC Caucus in February 1999 about a lack of resources in the cancer care system. Dr. McNamee’s calls were ignored, and he was later forced out of the health system.

 “The Tories are more worried about covering their posteriors than examining how to better run our health system. Their denial of the truth is a huge barrier to fixing our broken public health system,” Mason says.

 An NDP freedom of information request for thoracic surgery information was tagged with a $1,700 bill. Mason is writing to Dr. Chris Eagle, CEO of Alberta Health Services, to waive the fee and expedite the release of the information.