Alberta Health Services (AHS) has bent over backwards to assure residents of Boyle that the hospital is not closing.
Yes, it was an AHS document that outlined the possibility of closure in the first place, but Alberta Health and Wellness Minister Fred Horne himself has brushed that off, saying that things have changed since the 2011–2014 AHS Facility Infrastructure Capital Submission was penned.
But changed in what way?
AHS is less keen to speak about that. An AHS representative told the Advocate they would not release the most up-to-date capital submission as it relates to Boyle unless forced to by a Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (FOIP) request.
As the Wildrose Party’s successful FOIP requests have shown on more than one occasion, the information is not protected and can be released to the public. So why is AHS stalling and brandishing this hoop through which anyone who wants the full story must jump?
If AHS and the Alberta government really want to give residents of Boyle and the surrounding area peace of mind, they ought to quickly move on the renovations needed in the hospital and promptly reveal their longer-term plan for the facility.
