Friday, September 30, 2011

Alberta airport closure means life or death for Northwest Territories patients - doctor

Yellowknife, N.W.T. - Medical patients in the territory are big customers of Alberta's health care services - and they're being disrespected.

That's what former NWT Health Minister Bruce McLaughlin said about Edmonton's plan to close its downtown airport, which will mean longer transfer times for Northern patients.

McLaughlin said the NWT relies on Alberta's hospitals, and spends millions of dollars to send patients to the province.

"We're a big customer of theirs and they're just showing us no respect of how much money we spend down there and how important we are to their medical community. We support it with all of our patients and this is a real slap in the face for northern Alberta and Northwest Territories' communities."

If patients are transferred to the international airport, rather than the municipal one, it will mean about 40 minutes more transfer time - something Dr. Joseph Fernando said could mean life or death.

"Northern Alberta and the territories are in a unique situation. Their populations are small and the distances are great. They cannot afford to have a tertiary care set up in every small community."

They’re part of a group of concerned citizens, called Envision Edmonton, which came to Yellowknife yesterday to call on Northerners to speak out about the airport's impending closure.

The city of Edmonton is planning on shutting down the municipal airport in 2014. Envision Edmonton said residents in the territories need to make some noise about the issue and talk to their MLAs.

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