Many left outraged yesterday after a group of doctors held a public meeting shining a light on the lack of care Central Albertans receive at the Red Deer Regional Hospital due to a lack of funding from the province.
 
Hundreds of people heard how the hospital was dropped off of Alberta Health Service's Urgent Priority list last year despite 15 planning documents developed over the past 10 years showing urgent needs.
 
Head of Neurology for the Central Zone Dr. Jennifer Bestard says overcapacity is just the tip of the iceberg.

“It’s almost comical now when you go to the hospital because there is announcements every day we need to have a bed huddle, we need to have a meeting about over capacity, but it’s almost like we don’t even hear those announcements anymore because they happen on a daily basis. As mentioned in Dr. Wolstenholme’s talk we’re 104% over capacity that means we always have patients in these beds."

Central Albertans heard from several doctors and surgeons who say people are finding themselves in beds in hallways, surgeries often have to be cancelled and people are dying due to a lack of services.

Internal Medicine Specialist and Nephrologist Kym Jim says funding numbers are shocking.

“We look at in the fairest way which is per capita funding, we estimate that the per capita funding for new healthcare infrastructure in Central Alberta lags by ¼ to a tenth of the money that has been spent in Edmonton or Calgary per population. You may hear from representatives that it reflects the increased acuity of hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary, but it is simply not true."

Jim adds they simply want what is fair, full commitment to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Redevelopment and Expansion plan.
 
Red Deer Regional Hospital is the fourth busiest in the province and according to doctors it's in dire need of 96 more admitting beds, 18 more emergency room beds, three more operating rooms and several other services.  
 
Doctors will be holding a public rally in June and encourage people to write letters, engage on social media and make their voices heard.