Concordia Hospital ER downgraded

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/7/2018 (549 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Replacing Concordia Hospital’s ER with a walk-in clinic will not enhance Concordia Hospital’s role in the community as the government says.

If the Concordia ER is closed in June 2019 it will be the most drastic cut to northeast Winnipeg’s frontline health services we’ve seen in a generation, and putting a walk-in clinic there won’t change that.

The Health Minister said the walk-in clinic, will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. So don’t get sick after 9 p.m.

What the provincial government has proposed is simply a budgetary cut that’s now resulting in a reduction of the quality of patient care that will undoubtedly affect health outcomes for residents of northeast Winnipeg. The Minister should know many people can’t afford ambulance fees starting at $340. Every one of the 30,000 annual visits to the Concordia ER is a different situation when it comes to getting to the ER. Some will call an ambulance, but many will seek their own private transportation solutions to get the help they need. At the end of the day, whether residents get there by ambulance, taxi, car, or walk, they’re still going to stand in line at St. Boniface Hospital or Health Sciences Centre with everyone else.

Suffice to say, the residents of northeast Winnipeg know the difference between an enhancement of health services and a front-line health care cut. This isn’t what was promised. And so we must keep the pressure on his government to make meaningful changes to our system, not serious front-line health cuts like those proposed in eliminating the Concordia Hospital ER.

A special thanks to the volunteers and organizers of Happy Days on Henderson for another great community event. Everyone obviously had a great time, and with the great weather we were able to serve 1,000 lemonades again this year!

Please visit us online and give us your opinion at the Keep Concordia ER Open Facebook page.

For further information, please call my office at 204-415-1122 or email me at Jim.Maloway@YourManitoba.ca