Doctor criticizes psychiatric community-care plan
Last Updated: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 | 2:29 PM MT
CBC News
More criticism emerged Monday over a plan by Alberta Health Services to replace acute-care psychiatric hospital beds with those in the community.
About 500 people attended a meeting last month about the future of Alberta Hospital. (CBC)In August, Alberta Health announced plans to close as many as 150 psychiatric acute-care beds at Alberta Hospital in Edmonton and move patients into community-based care.
Since then psychiatrists, police, lawyers, people with mental illness and their families have spoken in opposition to the plan — arguing it would put ill, vulnerable people on the streets with no support.
Alberta Health has said no one will be moved out of the Alberta Hospital until there is a place for them to live in the community.
But on Monday, a doctor at the facility reiterated that the move has the potential to hurt the most vulnerable.
'These are sons and daughters of this province. The government has a stewardship over them. And they're not looking after them.'—Doreen Roberts, patient's mother
Dr. Cory Zarnecki said cutting beds at the Alberta Hospital means more homelessness and crime on Edmonton's streets.
"Let's not make budget cuts on the backs of the most unfortunate, helpless individuals in our society," he said.
One St. Albert mother is particularly worried about how the change will affect her son. Doreen Roberts' schizophrenic son has been in and out of the Alberta Hospital. Roberts says the province has an obligation to patients like her son.
"This government has a stewardship … these are sons and daughters of this province. The government has a stewardship over them. And they're not looking after them. When they're making budget cuts in such a way that it's going to hurt their lives … that is not good stewardship."
Roberts said the level of care her son receives at the Alberta Hospital is not available in psychiatric wards at other city hospitals or in the community.
