In praise of our health-care system

Bridgwater Forest

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/02/2026 (209 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nothing in life is perfect. More often than not, there are likely aspects of life we would like to see change and improve – whether by ourselves, our friends and neighbours or our civic leaders. The health-care system immediately comes to mind.

Like many, I have heard countless heart-wrenching stories of how the health-care system has failed those who have placed their trust in it, and I am not about to make any excuses for those failures, real or perceived. But, on the flipside, there are many positives as well – the cost of the care being just one. But there are others.

I need only look at what my extended family and I have experienced for examples.

First and foremost – we have family doctors. It did not take years, and it was not a painful process to find one. From my layperson’s perspective, I believe that was due to the fact Manitoba has a smaller population and we have seen doctors who were trained elsewhere choose to live and practise here.

A couple of years ago, my partner was feeling ‘off’ and finally decided to go to the Victoria Hospital to see a doctor. Sure, there was a wait, but it was not a crazy one. She was diagnosed with appendicitis. As the surgery had to be done elsewhere, her care team made arrangements for her to have the procedure at St. Boniface, and she was then transported there, with a room waiting. She was home to recuperate in a relatively short period of time.

Both my mother and my mother-in-law have had similar experiences at the Victoria, and my mother-in-law was not even a resident of Manitoba.

On a personal note, I have severe osteoarthritis and am on a wait list for a knee replacement. Yes, it has been a while and yes, I still have a way to go but I am on the list, and I know it will be done. In the interim, I have a knee brace that helps and I did not have to pay for it, nor did it have to be covered by private insurance – Manitoba Health covered the bill.

Finally, I would be remiss in not mentioning Manitoba 811 – a telephone health advice service, staffed by registered doctors and nurses that we have benefitted from on more than one occasion.

Yes, there are always opportunities to improve but there is also much to be thankful for.