January 20, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Alberta’s ongoing emergency room capacity challenges are once again in the political spotlight, as both the provincial government and the Official Opposition raise concerns about hospital overcrowding, long wait times and patient safety.
The United Conservative Party is scheduled to speak this afternoon at Calgary’s Peter Lougheed Centre, where Infrastructure Minister Martin Long is expected to provide an update on the expansion of the hospital’s emergency department.
Earlier in the day, Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi is holding a virtual news conference, calling for immediate action to address what he has described as a provincewide health-care emergency.
The renewed attention follows warnings from emergency physicians, who have written to Premier Danielle Smith and her health ministers about dangerous conditions in Alberta hospitals caused by overcrowding. A six-page letter obtained by CTV News details six recent deaths and dozens of near-miss incidents in emergency departments across the province since Jan. 1.
According to the letter, patients are waiting hours for beds and treatment, with some seniors suffering from serious infections and others leaving emergency rooms due to excessive wait times, only to return later in far worse condition.
In response to growing criticism, the province has announced plans to introduce a dedicated physician role focused on triage at Alberta’s busiest emergency departments, a move aimed at reducing wait times and improving patient flow.
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