The Alberta NDP were in full attack mode in the Alberta Legislature on Tuesday over the so-called "Turkish Tylenol" controversy.
The NDP accused the province of squandering millions of taxpayer dollars to store unused Turkish Tylenol and personal protective equipment (PPE) linked to what they call the "CorruptCare" scandal.
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange had an explanation during Question Period on Tuesday — the medication will be sent to help people in war-torn countries. It was, she said, purchased by Alberta Health Services. LaGrange accused the NDP of "fear mongering".
The controversy stems from a 2022 decision by the UCP government to purchase $70 million worth of children’s pain medication — specifically acetaminophen and ibuprofen — from Turkey via MHCare Medical, a Canadian supplier with alleged government connections.
The transaction was intended to address a shortage of children's pain relief drugs during the respiratory illness surge. However, only a fraction of the ordered supply was delivered, and the medication faced scrutiny over alleged safety and quality concerns, including improper labeling and lack of Health Canada approval for widespread use.
Much of the stock went unused, with millions of dollars’ worth left in storage.
The province is considering sending the unused medication to Ukraine, which is in need of medical supplies. This plan emerged as a potential solution to avoid wasting the stockpile before it expires.
LaGrange defended the idea, saying previously, “If we can’t use them in Alberta, then we should be sending them to other countries, particularly war-torn countries that have a lack of medication for their people, and that’s what we’ve been exploring.”
Premier Danielle Smith said of the matter, “We were approached by a third party with the idea to send the medication to Ukraine. We’re now looking for Health Canada approval, and a deal is in the works.”
According to the NDP, the cost of warehousing the products add an undisclosed burden to an "already controversial procurement debacle."
“The UCP is wasting millions keeping unused PPE and Turkish Tylenol in storage because they couldn’t figure out how to dispose of it after buying it from their close friends and insiders,” said the NDP in a statement.
The NDP, evidenced by photos, say there are hundreds of pallets of the supplies in an Edmonton warehouse, including 5,165 pallets of PPE and boxes of the imported medication, "much of which has expired or gone unused."
"Briefing materials indicate Alberta Health Services (AHS) has been charged $22.14 per pallet monthly for storage, with estimates suggesting the total cost could exceed $5 million."