The Current Alberta doctor says ER system is in “crisis”
Jan 6, 2026
Dr. Paul Parks, an ER physician from Medicine Hat and future president of the Emergency Physicians Section of the Alberta Medical Association, paints a dire picture of Alberta's emergency rooms. He details the daily chaos of overcrowding, with patients waiting in hallways and long delays for care. Parks highlights the systemic failures leading to this crisis, blaming years of disinvestment rather than just population growth. He calls for immediate solutions, urging patients to advocate for necessary resources to support overwhelmed ERs.
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Emergency Departments Functioning As Wards
- Alberta emergency departments are regularly operating like overflowing hospital wards full of admitted patients who cannot be transferred upstairs.
- Paul Parks says this creates chronic inability to see new urgent cases and stretches staff beyond capacity.
Heart Attacks Treated In Hallways
- Paul Parks recounts heart attacks being treated in hallways without monitoring or nursing support.
- He says these dangerous practices are happening routinely across major emergency departments.
ERs Reveal Systemic Health Failures
- Emergency departments are the safety net for many system failures, absorbing complications from surgery, cancer care, and lack of family physicians.
- Parks argues recent political reorganization has disintegrated the system and worsened ED pressure.