Alberta minister says third party to help probe into lucrative health contracts

Alberta's health minister says a third party has been called to help investigate reports of government interference in medical contracts.

The third-party will assist in a review being conducted by Alberta Health Services, but the government says it retains overall control of the investigation. Reviews by A-H-S and the province's auditor general were launched after the former head of the health-care body claimed she was fired for raising the alarm on overpriced contracts with private surgical centres and suppliers.

A-H-S has said it will suspend awarding contracts to firms at the centre of its investigation but did not specify what those companies were.