Concerns raised over Alberta's growing population amid loss of health-care workers
CTV
Alberta is booming once again, but with that boom comes concerns over the province's health-care system.
Alberta is booming once again, but with that boom comes concerns over the province's health-care system.
According to the latest figures from the province, Alberta's population increased by 194,000 people from October 2022 to October 2023, a 4.3 per cent increase from October 2021 to October 2022 – the highest spike Alberta's population has seen since 1980.
The population growth comes as some 20,000 health-care workers left Alberta in 2023, according to Statistics Canada.
Friends of Medicare says without help, Alberta's health-care workers will continue to leave the province or the field altogether.
"Over half of doctors are considering leaving the system or leaving the province," said executive director Chris Galloway.
"We've seen similar studies from nurses' unions, and others say over half of the health-care workforce is looking at leaving health care altogether or leaving their jurisdiction because they're burnt out."
Galloway says he is hopeful the upcoming provincial budget will provide more support for health-care workers to stop the bleeding.
