WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

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Hi5
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WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by Hi5 »

Emergency Protective Gear? Why is it that only the Alberta Health agency recognized that there was a health emergency oncoming? (Not a Kung Flu like some others seemed to believe). Why is it that no other provinces took serious steps to get ready for an emergency? Why were our Health agencies telling us that everything was well in hand, when it clearly wasn't? Will anyone be asked to answer for their failures? Are people going to complain that Alberta pigged out on emergency equipment to the detriment of other provinces? Is the Alberta citizenry going to complain because THEY don't personally get any protective gear now that a whole lot is going to doctors and nurses elsewhere in Canada? How long will the gratitude last from the rest of Canada?

That's enough questions. Anyway, here's the story of why Alberta did what they did....


David Staples: Masterminds behind Alberta's medical supplies surge to meet COVID-19 crisis
Author of the article:
David Staples • Edmonton Journal
Publishing date:3 days ago • 4 minute read
Alarm bells have sounded in Quebec and Ontario that key medical supplies are going fast, but Alberta is relatively well stocked because of a mastermind group of bureaucrats at Alberta Health Services.
Yes, bureaucrats — often maligned by the public and politicians for inefficiency — are today’s heroes due to their brilliant work in planning and preparing for this crisis.
The AHS team kicked into gear long before the rest of the world knew that a frightening new infectious disease was spreading.
Jitendra “J.P.” Prasad, who runs the AHS supply procurement system, is always on the lookout for terrible diseases that might impact supply and demand. He and his team heard disturbing news about a “strange flu” in Wuhan, China, in early December, Prasad said. “We have contacts from China and a lot of the conversation from them was, ‘Hey, J.P., we think something is happening that may impact us.'”
The AHS procurement system quickly took action. It was able to do so in part because it has advantages over regional or city health authorities. In 2009, then-premier Ed Stelmach had consolidated the province’s nine regional health boards and separate systems into one provincewide body. Instead of nine bodies all making smaller purchases with varying degrees of success in terms of price and delivery, Alberta hospitals now had one buyer making massive bulk orders for a population of more than four million people. With that coherence and that clout, AHS could negotiate better prices and develop strong relationships with suppliers. It stockpiled all incoming supplies in one city, Edmonton, at two huge warehouses, one for daily operational supplies, the second for emergencies.

Heather Cochrane works in one of the many aisles of products and supplies stored at the East Lake Centre in Calgary. Photo credit: Kerianne Sproule SUPPLIED
The Alberta team also has experience on its side, Prasad says. “We have an incredible staff who have dealt with so many emergencies now in our provincial system, they automatically know what has to be done.”
Jitendra Prasad, AHS In 2018, the AHS system was lauded by Healthcare Quarterly magazine as one of the top supply-chain management systems in the world.
Of course, such praise is well and good, but the true test for health-care supply systems came when the world started to burn with coronavirus.
In mid-December, Prasad’s team looked at how to increase stock. If they were placing an order for five days’ supply of masks, gloves and gowns, they now doubled the order, increasing their emergency stockpile.
In late December, AHS took its boldest step. Based on the Wuhan situation, management approved a huge new buy of equipment, including about 500,000 additional N95 masks.
This early action got Alberta near the front of the line so even when the viral outbreak accelerated, venders had accounted for Alberta’s demand, Prasad said. “By being a little bit proactive we were able to maintain our position in the (production) cycles so we still got those deliveries.”
Most personal protective equipment is manufactured in China, Prasad said, with Edmonton supplier Pri-Med having its gloves, gowns, and masks made in China. The exception is N95 masks, which are mostly made in Europe or the U.S.
In mid-January, China started to divert factory output to its local markets, Prasad said, so the AHS team started to look for alternate venders. The Chinese supply transportation system also got backlogged with orders. AHS hired a SPAM! to help out and also started to organize charter planes to move product most efficiently to Alberta. The first such flights are expected to land here Sunday.
AHS also worked internally to find out daily burn rates for key supplies and how much would be needed for a lengthy pandemic. “We want to be over-prepared,” Prasad said. “We don’t want to be in a situation where we’re not prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
With ventilators, Prasad’s team had some luck. They had already spent earlier last fall on new ventilators to replace 120 aging units. When the COVID-19 crises hit, new ventilators came in but the old ones weren’t sold, they were reconditioned. Even more new units were also ordered.
Local suppliers are also starting to produce equipment, which could well help with any future pandemic.
How does Prasad rate his team’s work so far?
“I’m really proud of everybody on the team. I’m really proud of everybody in AHS. To sum it up, you wake up every morning anxious, you try your best to make deals, and then hope that the planes land. That’s really, ultimately, the proof. It is being able to get the product. And so far we’ve been successful.”
At the end of our interview, I thanked Prasad for his team’s work. I suspect I was speaking for all of us.
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Hi5
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by Hi5 »

For those who didn't get the message, here is what Alberta is giving:

According to the news release, Ontario will receive:
250,000 N95 masks.
2.5 million procedural masks.
15 million gloves.
87,000 goggles.
50 ventilators.
Quebec will receive:
250,000 N95 masks.
2 million procedural masks.
15 million gloves.
British Columbia is set to receive 250,000 N95 masks.
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Boo
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by Boo »

Obviously Alberta's health team and or their premier are better at being pro active and Alberta's population is spred out more than BC, PQ and On. At least the ON premier admitted our provinces short comings and openly owns it very much unlike our federal government. The irony is that Toronto is the hardest hit in ON and is very Liberal federally. Quebec is in the same situation. I wonder if the liberal voters will see that JP screwed up?
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paulaboutform
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by paulaboutform »

Boo wrote:
Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:57 pm
Obviously Alberta's health team and or their premier are better at being pro active and Alberta's population is spred out more than BC, PQ and On. At least the ON premier admitted our provinces short comings and openly owns it very much unlike our federal government. The irony is that Toronto is the hardest hit in ON and is very Liberal federally. Quebec is in the same situation. I wonder if the liberal voters will see that JP screwed up?
They won't see it I'm sure. Last week one of our neighbors was saying what a wonderful job traitor boy is doing...and she was being serious. She referred to j.t. as caring, compassionate, transparent, and honest. I'm not kidding. My blood pressure is rising, I'm out.
You're only paranoid if everyone isn't out to get you.
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Hi5
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by Hi5 »

"...……..………"They won't see it I'm sure. Last week one of our neighbors was saying what a wonderful job traitor boy is doing...and she was being serious. She referred to j.t. as caring, compassionate, transparent, and honest. I'm not kidding. My blood pressure is rising, I'm out."

That's when you need to say, "those Alberta Rednecks, are they smarter then, than the folks from Ontario, Quebec and B>C., or the Feds? Or do they just have better leadership? They sure are generous, though, aren't they? It's lucky for Canada we have them, isn't it?"
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paulaboutform
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by paulaboutform »

Hi5 wrote:
Thu Apr 16, 2020 1:37 pm
"...……..………"They won't see it I'm sure. Last week one of our neighbors was saying what a wonderful job traitor boy is doing...and she was being serious. She referred to j.t. as caring, compassionate, transparent, and honest. I'm not kidding. My blood pressure is rising, I'm out."

That's when you need to say, "those Alberta Rednecks, are they smarter then, than the folks from Ontario, Quebec and B>C., or the Feds? Or do they just have better leadership? They sure are generous, though, aren't they? It's lucky for Canada we have them, isn't it?"
There's an understatement.
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munch
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by munch »

Boo wrote:
Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:57 pm
Obviously Alberta's health team and or their premier are better at being pro active and Alberta's population is spred out more than BC, PQ and On. At least the ON premier admitted our provinces short comings and openly owns it very much unlike our federal government. The irony is that Toronto is the hardest hit in ON and is very Liberal federally. Quebec is in the same situation. I wonder if the liberal voters will see that JP screwed up?
In the words of our famous leader uh uh uh uh I ha um it was um ah Steven Harper um
PUT IT IN THE BAG MARLIN ( #$%^ you it"ll bite)
BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST
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munch
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Re: WHY IS ALBERTA OVERFLOWING WITH

Post by munch »

munch wrote:
Sun Apr 19, 2020 4:36 am
Boo wrote:
Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:57 pm
Obviously Alberta's health team and or their premier are better at being pro active and Alberta's population is spred out more than BC, PQ and On. At least the ON premier admitted our provinces short comings and openly owns it very much unlike our federal government. The irony is that Toronto is the hardest hit in ON and is very Liberal federally. Quebec is in the same situation. I wonder if the liberal voters will see that JP screwed up?
In the words of our famous leader uh uh uh uh I ha um it was um ah Steven Harper um
Almost forgot um ah we are going to give you a rebate um please vote for us again ah
PUT IT IN THE BAG MARLIN ( #$%^ you it"ll bite)
BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST
[email protected]
munchmounts channel utube
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