The Alberta government says a private lab service that collects blood and other samples for medical tests will expand its operations in the province.
Health Minister Jason Copping says DynaLife Medical Labs, which already operates in Edmonton and some northern communities, will improve its facilities and open more service centers.
Copping says communities that can expect to see new labs in the summer include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane.
He says the province is expanding its contract with the lab service because it is profitable and there will be no job loss.
Alberta Health Services will continue to provide laboratory services to small rural and remote communities.
Undermining public health, says the opposition
The NDP opposition criticizes the government for continuing to work with private companies to provide public health care.
“The UCP canceled the Edmonton Superlab under construction, preventing a state-of-the-art research and testing facility from being built here in Alberta,” said health critic David Shepherd on Thursday.
“Albertans would have more testing capacity if the UCP had focused on strengthening and investing in our public health system. Instead, they continue to undermine it by diverting public dollars to profitable companies and their shareholders.”
In a statement, the Friends of Medicare group said the UCP government has never provided evidence that hiring services saves money.
“This government has continually shown that it will always prioritize benefits over patients, and today’s non-announcement was no different,” said CEO Chris Gallaway.
The government says nearly 80 million lab tests are completed in the province each year.