CALGARY, Alberta, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The premier of Canada"s Alberta province replaced his health minister in a cabinet reshuffle on Tuesday, as a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases swamped the healthcare system and the government came under fire for mishandling the pandemic. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said he had accepted Tyler Shandro"s resignation and replaced him with Jason Copping, who previously served as minister of labour and immigration. Shandro took Copping"s former role. "As this crisis evolves so must our response to it...it"s time for a fresh start," United Conservative Party (UCP) leader Kenney told a news conference. Hospitals in Canada"s western oil-producing province are buckling under a record number of COVID-19 cases driven by the highly contagious Delta variant. Intensive care units are 87% full, even with extra "surge beds" added, and Alberta has cancelled elective surgeries and discussed transferring patients to other provinces. On Tuesday the province wrote to the federal government formally requesting more critical care staff and for air ambulance support from the army to help transport patients out of Alberta if needed. Kenney and Shandro both face criticism for loosening public health measures much faster than other provinces earlier this year and delaying proof of vaccination requirements as cases started to rise. read more "This cabinet shuffle is once again Jason Kenney refusing to take responsibility for his actions and his decisions," independent lawmaker Drew Barnes, a member of the legislative assembly, told Reuters. "The best thing he could do is resign." Barnes was thrown out of the UCP caucus in May for publicly calling for Kenney"s resignation. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which represents about 58,000 healthcare workers, welcomed Shandro"s departure as health minister, and vice-president Susan Slade said: "Good riddance". Alberta is a conservative stronghold but support for the federal party led by Erin O"Toole slipped in Monday"s national election, which some Conservatives blamed on dissatisfaction with Kenney. read more