View From the Legislature

Over the past several weeks there have been a number of important healthcare related announcements that will help to improve care in our province. Last week, I was in Brandon at the 911 response centre to announce on behalf of our government that we would be hiring 60 new full time Paramedics this year in our province. This announcement adds to the historic level of support we have provided paramedics since we have become government, including advancing the profession through self-regulation.

Through the increase in full time paramedics we are ensuring that, particularly in rural Manitoba, there are quicker responses to emergency calls and when help arrives, those who are responding have the training and support needed to administer care on the scene in as many cases as possible. This is important because, with highly trained paramedics, the care starts when an ambulance arrives at the scene of a call, not when the individual arrives by ambulance at a hospital.

Also this week, I was joined at the Health Sciences Centre by the youngest ever recipient of a Cochlear implant in Manitoba. Ireland, received her implant at 10 months old after doctors discovered her hearing impairment through new-born hearing screening. The screening is now available throughout Manitoba for newborns as a result of private members legislation that was passed in 2013 in Manitoba. Since then, regulations have been established and testing equipment has been put in place in health regions around Manitoba. The skilled and dedicated surgeons at the Health Sciences Centre who are involved in this program are to be congratulated for the work that they do. Being able to provide the gift of hearing to both young and old in Manitoba through this important procedure is truly life changing.

Also, on Tuesday, the provincial government announced that it would be investing $1.2 million annually to establish five Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinics in Manitoba to help more quickly connect those who are struggling with addiction to primary healthcare providers who have specialized training in dealing with addictions. This will both benefit those trying to end their addiction but also benefit other parts of the healthcare system that struggle to help those who are fighting addictions to alcohol, meth or opioids. This announcement compliments the work that has been done by Virgo consulting to better align the mental health and addictions systems in Manitoba. That report will be released next week to the public.

From emergency medical response, to highly specialized surgeries, to the challenge of dealing with addictions, our government is taking action to support the things that matter most to Manitobans. We will continue to work to ensure that the healthcare system is both responsive and sustainable to the needs of today, but for generations in the future.