Alberta premier, health minister say they weren’t involved in awarding private surgery contracts
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange have made it clear that they were not involved in the details of contracts with private surgical facilities. They emphasized that all decisions regarding these contracts were made by Alberta Health Services (AHS) staff. This statement comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Athana Mentzelopoulous, the former CEO of AHS, alleging that LaGrange and staff in Smith’s office pressured her to renew and sign contracts with private surgical facilities.
During a news conference in Calgary, Smith reiterated that all contracting decisions were the responsibility of AHS. She explained that AHS staff drafted requests for proposals, evaluated bids, selected proponents, and negotiated the terms of agreements. Smith emphasized that the government’s role was limited to ensuring the progress of the contracts and not involved in the decision-making process.
Both Smith and LaGrange denied receiving any kickbacks from private surgery contractors providing publicly funded procedures. They expressed their support for LaGrange to remain as health minister and stated that she took necessary steps to investigate the allegations made by Mentzelopoulous.
In response to the lawsuit, cabinet appointed Darren Hedley as the acting deputy minister of health to oversee a review of procurement and contracting practices. This decision was made to address concerns about conflicts of interest and ensure transparency in the process. Additionally, a legal conflict wall has been established to manage the transfer of records to investigators.
Mentzelopoulous’ lawsuit alleges that she was fired because she initiated an internal investigation and audit into AHS contracts and procurement processes. She raised concerns about conflicts of interest and high contract prices with private surgical facilities. The lawsuit also mentions investigations into procurement practices with medical supply company MHCare, which secured a contract for children’s painkillers that were never distributed.
LaGrange stated that she had been requesting evidence of wrongdoing from Mentzelopoulous for eight months but did not receive substantial information. She plans to file a statement of defence in court to address the allegations. The government has until March 4 to respond to the lawsuit, and a senior official is searching for a lawyer to conduct an external review.
The premier highlighted that AHS leaders have been resistant to changes in the health-care system and are hindering the transition to four new organizations. The opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called for a judge-led public inquiry to ensure transparency and accountability. He criticized the government for deflecting responsibility and urged all ministers named in the lawsuit to step aside.
As the legal dispute unfolds, the private surgical facilities and medical supply company involved have denied the allegations and stated that the claims are false. The government remains committed to investigating the allegations and ensuring that public funds are spent appropriately.
