February 2, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Alberta’s New Democrats are urging Premier Danielle Smith to publicly address what they describe as a deepening health-care crisis, pointing to mounting pressures in hospital emergency departments across the province.
The call comes more than a month after the death of a young Edmonton father who passed away while waiting for care in an emergency room. Since then, doctors, frontline health-care workers and patients have come forward with accounts of overcrowding, long wait times and unsafe conditions in hospitals.
The Opposition says Premier Smith has remained largely silent on the issue. According to the NDP, only one of the province’s four health ministers has spoken to media in the past month, offering few details on steps being taken to ease the strain on the system.
Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi said Albertans deserve to hear directly from the premier about what actions her government is taking to address the crisis.
In response, the NDP has launched a legislative petition calling on the United Conservative Party government to take immediate action and declare a provincial state of emergency in health care. The petition will be tabled in the legislature and is available through the Alberta NDP caucus website and at albertahealthcrisis.ca.
“Health care falls squarely under provincial jurisdiction,” Nenshi said, adding that if the government cannot manage the system, “it’s time for a new government.”
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