New Democrats say they have the numbers that prove health care is getting worse under the Progressive Conservatives’ watch, while the government shot back that its $7.2-billion budget is the largest in Manitoba’s history.

“We have more information now that really paints a picture of what’s going on across our health care system,” NDP health critic Uzoma Asagwara said at a news conference Wednesday. “Quite frankly, we’re still in a state of crisis.”

The official Opposition shared data, collected through freedom of information requests, that show critical care beds at HSC were full or above capacity for most of last year, fewer hours of direct home care were provided than five years ago and there’s been an increase in health care aide and home support worker vacancies.

“In addition to a health care crisis, we’ve got a crisis of leadership,” NDP Leader Wab Kinew said. “I haven’t seen this PC government produce any results when it comes to health care,” he said. “More needs to be done. That starts with good leadership and our team is ready.”

One area of particular concern is home care, said Asagwara, a nurse.

Data from Shared Health show vacancies for health care aides and home support workers have steadily increased — to 393 (21.8 per cent) vacant positions in October 2022 from 320 (7.3 per cent) vacant positions in September 2021.

The number of home care hours provided in 2021-22 was 2,655,542, down from 2,892,895 in 2017-18.

“Manitobans and their families depend on this health-care service in order to successfully age in place in their communities… and avoid going to emergency rooms and acute care settings,” Asagwara said.

The New Democrat said the government has failed to take steps to recruit and retain home care workers.

The government responded by saying its $7.2-billion health care budget in 2022-23 is the largest in Manitoba history, and its $200-million health human resource plan will recruit, train and retain staff and add 2,000 professionals to the system.

It noted the $160-million diagnostic and surgical recovery task force is eliminating pandemic backlogs and increasing surgical capacity.

Further, it has added 28 critical care beds at a cost of $30 million.

Kinew asked if Ottawa’s $196-billion, 10-year health funding proposal announced Tuesday will help Manitobans get the health care they need any sooner under the PC government.

“We’re going to need more than resources. We need a vision,” he said. “We have a ton of needs for health care here in Manitoba and we need a government that can get it done. Clearly the PCs cannot.”

Kinew said the proof lies in the strained critical care bed situation at the Health Sciences Centre that was above capacity most months from September 2021 to September 2022.

In Winnipeg, 1,853 surgeries were cancelled during the first 10 months of 2022.

“What we actually need to see are concrete steps to deliver health care to a senior in Dauphin who requires a home care visit, to somebody in Winnipeg who needs surgery or somebody in northern Manitoba who’s been waiting months on end for a referral to a specialist,” Kinew said.

“According to our research, the current government is falling down on the job and it’s time for new leadership.”

A political observer noted the NDP hasn’t said much about what “concrete steps” it would take if it is elected government this year.

Kinew doesn’t need to just yet, since the Oct. 3 vote is eight months away.

“Attacking the PCs while not showing their own strategy might very well serve the NDP over the short term, but as we approach the next election, they would be ill-advised not to promote what they would do concretely if they were governing,” said University of Winnipeg Prof. Félix Mathieu.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.

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