Private facilities tapped to provide post-op physiotherapy
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2022 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
THE Manitoba government has contracted three private facilities to provide outpatient physiotherapy for hip and knee replacement patients in Winnipeg.
According to Tory MLA James Teitsma (Radisson), the Wellness Institute, Elite Sport Injury, and Pure Lifestyle will be offering the services.
Teitsma, legislative assistant to Health Minister Audrey Gordon, announced the change to government policy on social media last week.
The province will pay for up to six individual physiotherapy sessions or 10 group sessions, according to Teitsma.
In 2017, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority cut most free outpatient physiotherapy services as part of cost-savings measures.
“Until these agreements were announced, outpatient physio was paid out of pocket, and consequently some did not receive the rehab they needed,” Teitsma said in his post. “As such, this is a step in the right direction for public health care. More steps need to be taken.”
During question period Wednesday, the Opposition grilled Gordon on the policy change.
“Two-thousand people annually lost access to this essential health-care service,” NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said. “Will the minister admit it was wrong to cut this service for so many Manitobans?”
NDP MLA Nahanni Fontaine (St. Johns) also challenged the health minister to restore publicly delivered physiotherapy and occupational therapy services in Winnipeg and to rehire health-care professionals.
Gordon said the Opposition should focus on the outcomes of the province’s diagnostic and surgical recovery task force, adding she is proud outpatient physiotherapy will be covered again.
“Physiotherapy is available to support successful recovery for hip and knee — orthopedic — patients in Winnipeg, and it’s also available in the other regional health authorities,” Gordon said.
In a statement, a government spokesperson said criteria for the “time-limited contracts” was developed by the task force to immediately provide outpatient services.
The task force is working to add more providers in the near future, the statement concluded.
The task force has also expanded its scope to include pediatric services, Gordon said in question period, and is now moving to address diagnostic backlogs for fetal alcohol syndrome disorder and autism spectrum disorder in the next 18 months.
danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca