Private Delivery of Publicly-Funded Services by Physicians Must Continue, AMA President Urges First Ministers

NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CCNMatthews

FOR:  ALBERTA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

SEPTEMBER 11, 2004 - 12:00 ET

Private Delivery of Publicly-Funded Services by
Physicians Must Continue, AMA President Urges First
Ministers

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(CCNMatthews - Sept. 11, 2004) - Dr. Brendan J. 
Bunting, the outgoing president of the Alberta Medical 
Association (AMA), this morning called on the prime minister and 
the premiers to support the right of physicians to continue to 
provide publicly-funded medical services. 

"There are some in Canada who want to ban any private delivery of 
publicly-funded services even though it is perfectly legal to do 
so and is allowed under the Canada Health Act," Dr. Bunting said 
in his valedictory address at the AMA's annual general meeting. 

"This speaks directly to the future of the medical profession and 
the delivery of medical services," Dr. Bunting, a Ponoka family 
physician, added. 

"One of the first statements by the new federal health minister 
was his priority to stem privatization," Dr. Bunting observed. 
And last month at the Canadian Medical Association's meeting in 
Toronto the federal minister "was asked to indicate his support 
for the delivery of publicly-funded services by private 
physicians. The minister did not do so." 

Timely access and care guarantees should also be priorities for 
the first ministers, who are meeting next week in Ottawa, Dr. 
Bunting said. Under a care guarantee, patients would have a 
defined time for access; and, if the guarantee isn't met, 
patients would have the right to access that care and be 
reimbursed by government. 

Dr. Bunting also spoke about the importance of teamwork and the 
success of the current relationship between doctors and the 
provincial government. " It is important to acknowledge that our 
landmark, eight-year Master Agreement would not have been 
possible without the leadership and vision of Health and Wellness 
Minister Gary Mar and his deputy minister, Roger Palmer." 

The trilateral agreement between the AMA, Alberta Health and 
Wellness and Alberta's Regional Health Authorities recognizes the 
importance of the physician-patient relationship, and encourages 
the use of teams to improve the delivery of primary care. "This 
agreement will make a significant difference to how Albertans 
receive their health care and the way that physicians practise 
medicine," Dr. Bunting stated. 

Today, Dr. Jane Ballantine, a family physician in Calgary, will 
be installed as AMA president for 2004-05, the year the AMA 
celebrates 100 years of organized medicine in Alberta.  

For Dr. Bunting's complete valedictory address, please go to 
http://www.albertadoctors.org  

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Alberta Medical Association

Ronald A. Kustra, ABC

Assistant Executive Director, Public Affairs

Cell: (780) 990-4271

or

Alberta Medical Association

Kate Hume, BA, PR

Communications Specialist, Public Affairs

Cell: (780) 499-9809