Alberta’s hospitals are beginning to see relief after weeks of intense pressure from seasonal respiratory illnesses, though emergency departments and inpatient units remain busy, the provincial government said Thursday.Early indicators suggest influenza A has peaked and hospital admissions are trending downward, with total respiratory virus hospitalizations falling from a December 30 peak of 995 to 675 as of January 14. Emergency inpatients dropped from 443 on January 7 to 335 last week. Major urban centres continue to experience the highest demand.“Encouraging signs show influenza has peaked and hospitalizations are declining, while we continue expanding capacity so Albertans receive care when and where they need it,” said Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services.Acute Care Alberta (ACA) has led daily, provincewide coordination among Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, and other providers to manage patient flow, staffing, and real-time pressures. Hospitals activated surge and overcapacity plans, including temporary beds where staffing allows, accelerated discharges and transfers, designated surge spaces, and limits on non-essential inbound transfers. Virtual hospital programs have also supported patients recovering at home."I'm pleased to share that this work has resulted in the system only needing to rebook a handful of surgeries, eight this calendar year," Jones said. "For perspective, our system performs roughly 6000 surgeries per week.".Despite measures taken to weather the latest spike in patient demand, Sarah Hoffman, Alberta's New Democrat Shadow Minister for Hospital and Surgical Health Facilities, believes there is a bigger issue."Doctors have been raising alarms for weeks. Patients and their advocates are saying clearly that things are not okay, yet the government still won’t admit we’re in a crisis," reads a statement from Hoffman.Thursday's update comes amid ongoing reviews following the death of Prashant Sreekumar at Grey Nuns Community Hospital on December 22, 2025. ACA completed a quality assurance review, Covenant Health conducted an internal review, and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is performing an independent investigation. "While there is no doubt that pressures in the system, and specifically at the Grey Nuns emergency department on December 22, impacted care, after reviewing the information available to me with advice from clinical experts, I have concerns and unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding Mr. Srikumar's death," Jones said. Alberta’s minister of justice has also ordered a fatality inquiry, an unprecedented move, to examine the full circumstances of the death and issue public recommendations.“Acute Care Alberta is coordinating a provincewide response to current capacity challenges by working closely with service delivery organizations… to manage patient flow and ensure all available space is utilized,” said David Diamond, interim CEO of ACA..Alberta’s government plans to expand health capacity with 1,000 new beds in Edmonton and Calgary, $400 million for 1,500 continuing care spaces, and $17 million for nine urgent care centres to ease emergency room congestion. According to Hoffman, Thursday's press conference was insufficient.“I know many health‑care workers, patients, and families tuned in to the government’s update today hoping for real solutions," Hoffman's statement reads. "Instead, after nearly a month without a single health minister taking questions, they got one minister repackaging old announcements and refusing to acknowledge the crisis unfolding in our hospitals. "The government thanked health care professionals for their dedication and urged Albertans to help ease system pressures by staying home when sick and using primary, urgent, or virtual care services for non-urgent needs.Alberta’s emergency departments have seen a 10% growth in visits in recent years, reflecting the province’s aging and more complex patient population.
