CALGARY -- Dozens of retired nurses, joined by other members of the medical community and concerned citizens, travelled together by bus from Edmonton to Calgary to deliver a message to Alberta's Health Minister Tyler Shandro.
The group, organized by Friends of Medicare and Public Interest Alberta, wants Albertans to “take heed to what is happening in our healthcare system and that they demand better from government.”
Sandra Azocar, executive director of Friends of Medicare, says Albertans are concerned with the direction our healthcare system is taking under this government.
The group, riding what they called the "People's Bus," made stops along the way to canvass the constituency of both the Minister of Seniors and Housing Josephine Pon and Minister Shandro.
Azocar says both her group and Public Interest Alberta are very concerned about the deep cuts and privatization of healthcare and seniors care systems that the Alberta government is imposing.
“We have people here that wanted to make sure their concerns were amplified and they wanted to talk directly to the people who elected Minister Sandro.”
After delivering their information pamphlet to the minister's office, the group split up and canvassed the area, looking to talk with constituents.
The minister, who was not at his Calgary to meet the People’s Bus, delivered the following statement to CTV News:
“We campaigned on maintaining or increasing health spending and increasing access, starting with funding 80,000 more surgeries to reduce wait times. We’re getting costs in line with other provinces and reinvesting every dollar we save back into the health system.”
