As the inquiry into preferential treatment in Alberta’s health system continued in Calgary Wednesday, a Calgary health executive testified, and said she was asked to give extra care to a member of Ralph Klein’s inner circle.
Janice Stewart testified Wednesday, and said while she was asked a number of times to check up on VIP patients, she refused to help out each time.
She said she refused because it either wasn’t medically safe, or because it wasn’t ethical.
Stewart testified that in 2005 – while she worked at Calgary’s Foothills Hospital, she would be asked by her boss to check on prominent patients, to see if they had any concerns or to just ‘say hi’.
In her testimony, Stewart said she refused to do it, because the patients at that point were already receiving necessary care – and unless the patient wanted to see her in particular, their medical issues were not her business.
She also recounted an incident dating back about 10 years ago, when former Calgary Health Region CEO Jack Davis asked her to look into supervised home care for a child of a member of former premier Ralph Klein’s inner circle.
That request was also refused, she said, she turned it down because the child was too sick.
Stewart said that matter was dropped, and she couldn’t remember whose child was sick.
With files from the Canadian Press
