Manitobans are disappointed that little progress has been made on important health care issues since the current government took office. Eight years after promising to end hallway medicine, patients continue to line hospital hallways. The NDP government has failed to address the human resources challenges that threaten the stability of health care services. As a result, wait times for a range of procedures from routine doctor appointments to a hip replacement are unacceptably high. Under this government, 14 rural emergency rooms have closed, and the health care bureaucracy has grown to the point that Manitobans are left wondering who they should hold to account for this poor standard of care.
A Progressive Conservative government would work with health care experts to develop achievable goals for the recruitment of doctors, nurses, and other much-needed health care professionals. Our government would pursue recruitment targets with a focus on net increases to the number of health care workers providing direct care to patients. To achieve these targets, our government would employ expanded scopes of practice, recruitment incentives, and provide more training opportunities to aspiring health care professionals.
Our government would work to keep medical graduates practicing in Manitoba by giving them a reason to stay. Health care professionals have made it clear that they require better work environments including competitive salaries and working hours, along with worldclass research opportunities and a voice in the future of health care. 15 Our Opposition is ashamed that Manitobans are traveling to countries like Cuba and India for timely access to medical services. Despite the explosion of Manitoba’s health care budget to almost $4 billion dollars, wait times remain at an unacceptable level.
A Progressive Conservative government would shorten wait times by building upon the model of partnership and flexible delivery with a range of providers in Manitoba, operating under Canada's universal health care system. While other provinces ensure that their provincial drug formularies are updated on a regular basis, Manitoba’s drug formulary has not been updated in more than eight months. As a result, Manitoba patients are not benefiting from new drugs that have become available and approved in other provinces. Our government would expedite this process and ensure regular updates to Manitoba’s drug formulary.
Under a Progressive Conservative government, emergency personnel such as paramedics and good Samaritans who come into contact with blood or other potentially infectious substances during their work or good deed would be granted the opportunity to have those substances tested to ensure they are not infected with HIV, Hepatitis C or other diseases. This measure would also be extended to victims of crime who come into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of their assailant. Peace of mind is the least the government can offer to victims of crime and the brave men and women who work to protect them. 16 Manitobans expect their government to be honest with regard to disclosure of important public health information. It is unfortunate that under the current government Manitobans were given misleadingly optimistic messages about the chance of contracting West Nile Virus and the rates of superbug infection in Winnipeg hospitals, which were in some cases triple the Canadian average.
A Progressive Conservative government recognizes the importance of transparency —especially with regard to serious health concerns—and would make full disclosure of risk levels associated with public health threats common practice. Manitoba has also fallen behind on its Human Papilloma Virus immunization program. Our government would initiate the program, giving families the option of having their daughters immunized against HPV, the virus that causes most cervical cancers. The current NDP government has neglected the health care needs of rural Manitobans. The number of rural emergency rooms closed throughout the province has grown to 14, and many Manitobans are worried that their community is next on the list.
A Progressive Conservative government would address this unfortunate situation directly by introducing a rural health care emergency room strategy, focusing on community-led solutions such as joint regional hospitals and specialized recruitment drives to send professionals to communities where their services are most needed. After years of calling for a review of the Regional Health Authority system, our Opposition is pleased the current government has finally acted. This review is a valuable opportunity to evaluate regionalized health care, its current strengths and weaknesses, and its future direction. A Progressive Conservative government would use this review to make necessary changes, with a view to reducing administrative costs, redirecting resources into front line care and putting more decision making power in the hands of patients, health care professionals and local communities.
Manitoba families are struggling to find child care that meets their needs. Our government would work to address the shortage of child care providers. Recognizing that parents know what is best for their children, we will work toward giving parents more choice in child care. We also know there are children that are vulnerable due to social and economic circumstances beyond their control. There are fundamental problems with the current NDP government’s handling of Child and Family Services.
The current government has failed to ensure that the child welfare system was strong and stable before devolving it to the new authorities. In doing so, this government has set the system up for failure. A Progressive Conservative government would make the safety and well being of children the paramount consideration in practice rather than in theory. Our government would work toward the development of caseload standards, immediately recruit qualified front line social workers, complete the Child and Family Services Standards Manual, develop a formal risk assessment tool in 18 consultation with experts and initiate a mentoring program for new social workers to help address the problems that have plagued Child and Family Services under the current government.
