Asagwara touts diversionary tactics from ERs to primary care clinics

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced a new initiative Thursday that aims to divert patients who go to hospital emergency departments in Winnipeg but could be treated at an extended-hours primary-care clinic.

To help reduce wait times, staff will identify ER patients who are waiting but would benefit from being seen in an extended-hours clinic instead.

“It’s going to be happening officially right away, and also the ability for these urgent cares and emergency departments to say, ‘You know what? You do need care, but this isn’t the place you need to be,’” Asagwara said. “’We can make sure that you get right into the extended hours clinic and get care right away.’”

Extended-hours clinics are located in Concordia, Grace, St. Boniface and Victoria hospitals in Winnipeg. Asagwara said the province will open more.

The clinics are open in the evenings and on weekends and holidays.

Asagwara said the clinics are running at about 85 per cent capacity. The province is trying to raise public awareness to increase visits, including walk-ins and appointments booked online.

“We are going to make sure that these clinics are being fully utilized,” Asagwara told reporters Thursday.

The clinics are designed to offer quick care for minor health concerns when patients’ family doctors or regular care providers aren’t available, or if they don’t have one.

The median wait time at Winnipeg’s seven urgent-care and emergency departments was 4.1 hours in December, the highest monthly figure among Winnipeg Regional Health Authority records that date back to April 2019.

One in 10 patients waited 11 hours in December, when the median time was up from 3.85 hours in November and 3.73 hours in December 2024.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca