Thursday's letters: Yiu's departure doesn't bode well for Alberta

Dr. Verna Yiu gave glimpses of reality to Albertans when the government was offering platitudes. ICU capacity was increased despite pre-existing staff shortages, a contrary government calling for cuts and untold staff diverted to testing and vaccinations. After the ill-timed open for summer fiasco, she was honest. The system was only coping because deaths were keeping pace with admissions. In the face of government disinformation, she upheld the need for vaccinations for staff. She acknowledged the suffering in cancelled surgeries and treatments.

For someone of Dr. Yiu’s calibre to be fired without cause does not bode well for our future.

 S.M. Hogan, Edmonton

UCP making Alberta the object of pity

This UCP government has got to be stopped before Alberta becomes the object of irreparable pity and ridicule — if we aren’t already there.

The minister of justice calling the chief of police over a traffic ticket; the minister of education forcing our teachers to accept a disgracefully flawed new curriculum; Minister of the Environment and Government House Leader Jason Nixon losing his meagre grasp of decorum in the legislature and dropping the F-bomb; and now even a former Conservative justice minister, Jonathan Denis, hiring a fixer to illegally dig dirt so he can threaten people.

Are we being governed by the mafia? Come on, Albertans — let’s get this bunch of juvenile incompetents out of our legislature. And no whining that the NDP are going to put us in debt. The Conservatives have already done that by giving away and squandering every penny of our vast natural resources wealth. When the roof is ripped off of your house (or successive “conservative” governments have destroyed your hospitals and sent your doctors to other parts of this country and the world) then it’s time to put on your big boy/girl underpants and hire someone other than the UCP to have this roof fixed.

Phyllis M. Elmer, Vermilion

Edmonton-area hospitals give good care

Someone wrote that our health-care system is broken. It is hard when outlying hospital emergency wards are closed. Many nursing homes are understaffed by underpaid LPNs. Once admitted to hospitals in the surrounding area of Edmonton, friends and relations have had wonderful care.

Unit 53 in the Alex has a superb team of voice, physio and occupational therapists, doctors, nurses, food service and cleaners. Units 54 and 42 are tops. Unit 17 and 18 in the Sturgeon Hospital and the University Hospital give excellent care. Our family doctors are very good as well as Morinville home care.

Jennifer Bocock, Sturgeon County