Federal aid good, but lockdown still needed, nursing union says

EDMONTON – Alberta’s nursing union says it pleaded for federal aid to help the province’s crumbling health system two weeks ago, but “it’s better now than never”.

Premier Jason Kenney revealed at a health update Thursday that reinforcements would be coming to Alberta to help curb the spread of COVID-19 that has overwhelmed the province’s intensive care units.

The deal will bring some medical personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces to Alberta as well as help from the Canadian Red Cross and Newfoundland and Labrador.

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READ MORE: Alberta to receive help from Canadian Armed Forces, other provinces to battle fourth wave

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Heather Smith with the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) says medical staff is in desperate need of relief and the group was pleased to hear backup was finally on its way.

“There’s no way to describe incredibly devastating health care workers, especially when we know we’re not really treating the root cause,” said the union president.

Smith says UNA is endorsing a circuit breaker lockdown. Until something is done to control the rapid spread of the virus in Alberta, she says there will never be enough help to deal with the crisis.

“There will never be enough personnel, ventilators, to really deal with the crisis we have here.”

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She says rural Alberta is struggling the most, due in part to a lack of ICU capacity.

Kenney said Thursday the province is expecting eight to 10 Canadian Armed Forces members to be deployed to Edmonton area hospitals to help staff additional ICU beds.

Staff coming from the Canadian Red Cross will provide up to 20 ICU-trained staff to provide help at the Red Deer Regional Hospital.

-with files from Josh Ritchie