File photo of Premier Ranj Pillai with Federal Minister of Small Business Rechie Valdez. Photo Couresty of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Premier Ranj Pillai is facing criticism after claiming that Yukon Medical Association (YMA) President Dr. Alex Kmet expressed support for private-public partnerships in healthcare in a letter but Dr. Kmet says the YMA has never taken a stance on the issue.
The Yukon Government recently issued a request for proposals that would develop a comprehensive health system development plan that focused on hospital infrastructure which drew concerns that it could lead to privatization in healthcare.
On Monday, Premier Pillai called attention to a letter from the YMA where he stated that YMA President Dr. Kmet supported the public-private partnership that built the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, N.W.T.
“The same individual pointed to the success of the Northwest Territories government in building the new hospital in Yellowknife, which is exactly that — a public-private partnership,” said Premier Pillai in the Legislature on October 21st.
Dr. Alex Kmet told CKRW that the YMA has never taken a stance on public-private partnerships.
“The YMA has no position on the private/public partnership that funded Stanton Territorial Hospital.”
Premier Pillai said he referenced an August 13th YMA letter that discusses a rural family medicine program in Yellowknife but did not mention public-private partnerships or the construction of the Stanton Territorial Hospital.
“We’re all excited about the fact that I was referring to the letter,” said Premier Pillai. “I am reading what Alex said and I think about what I hear in meetings with the Yukon Medical Association and their executives.”
Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon challenged Premier Pillai to provide the letter in question and accused him of fabricating the claim.
“The premier did not receive a letter that said that and as far as I can tell the Premier just made that up.”
