Tories back proposed law named for woman who died while waiting for surgery

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This article was published 13/03/2025 (189 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Tories have urged the NDP government to support the proposed “Debbie’s Law,” which would require health authorities to inform patients when they can’t provide timely life-saving care.

On Wednesday, 69-year-old Debbie Fewster’s family and advocates held a news conference proposing “Debbie’s Law.” The Niverville grandmother was told she required surgery within three weeks, but her family said she’d been on the waiting list for a triple bypass for more than two months when she died at home in October.

The law would require health authorities to tell patients when they cannot provide life-saving treatment within the recommended period, such as the three-week timeline proposed by one specialist who examined Fewster, her family said.

Her family would have looked at options outside Manitoba, including costly private treatment, to get timely care, if they were told their mother faced a long wait time, Colin Craig with the Regina-based SecondStreet.org said Wednesday. The organization called on provinces to track and disclose the number of patients who die while on wait lists to help identify trends and where improvements are needed.

“The NDP are playing with patients’ lives,” Progressive Conservative Kathleen Cook said in question period, urging the government to support such a law.

“We take all aspects of health care very seriously,” said Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “Our government is committed to ensuring services are there for Manitobans when they need it.”

Asagwara shamed the PCs for dismantling St. Boniface’s cardiac care centre when they were in government.

“As a government, we have to do the restoring of that incredible program,” the minister told reporters after question period. Asagwara offered condolences to Fewster’s family.

“That’s a tragedy. It’s not something that we ever want to happen,” said the minister who also offered reassurances.

“As it relates to cardiac care, I really want Manitobans to know if you need life-saving cardiac surgery, you will be prioritized.”

When asked why the province doesn’t track patients who die while waiting for surgery, the minister said it’s because they may die for a number of reasons that may not be related to their surgical waits.

Cook said it’s important information.

“Let’s track it and disclose it publicly,” she told reporters. “I think Manitobans who frankly pay for the health care system are entitled to this information.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca