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Jul 8, 2025 1:39 PM - The Canadian Press

Emergency doctor challenges Alberta premier to come on shift and see patients waiting in hallways

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Dr. Warren Thirsk says Smith should come to see the moral injury that doctors face, looking into the eyes of those who need help but have to wait a long time to get it.(Photo - The Canadian Press)

The head of emergency medicine for Alberta's doctors association is challenging Premier Danielle Smith -- shadow him on a shift and come see the frustration of patients who are jammed for hours in hallways.

Dr. Warren Thirsk says Smith should come to see the moral injury that doctors face, looking into the eyes of those who need help but have to wait a long time to get it.

Thirsk's comments come in wake of a new survey measuring patients' experiences in the health-care system released late last week by the Alberta Medical Association.

Thirsk says he's seeing a trend of increasing wait times in a system that can't keep up with a provincial population now close to five-million people.

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