The MLA for La Verendrie is trying to keep a decades-old health pact involving residents of the border region from ending.
Conrad Nurse says an agreement with U.S.-based Artur Health System has been in place for more than 50 years to bring health services closer to Manitoba's southern border communities. . For La Verendrie residents, Nurse said they travel to Roseau, Minn., to receive these services.
However, Nurse said there appeared to be some cancellations of eligible services on the U.S. side in recent months.
“Voters and residents in parts of our state have expressed concerns to me about what their access to care will look like in the future,” Nurse added.
Nurse said recent changes have made diagnostic and family physician services no longer available in the United States.
“Non-emergency diagnostic services, even those related to emergency medical procedures, must be accessed on the Canadian side of the border,” Nurse explains.
He notes the change will mean many residents will have to travel to Winnipeg for diagnosis. And he says this becomes even more of a burden considering that some corners of the state lack transportation services. Nurse said Manitoba Health Services is providing at least transportation assistance in remote communities in the north.
Nurse said some medical services will be available in Steinbach, but it's still nearly 200 kilometers away for some voters.
“We've had emergency care at Vita in the past, but under the previous NDP government, that emergency room was also cut back,” Nurse said.
Nurse said the NDP government has been vocal about listening to Manitobans to improve health care delivery and bring emergency care closer to home. He noted Manitobans repeatedly said during the election that emergency rooms are not serving their purpose of providing emergency medical care close to home.
“There are residents across Manitoba, in rural Manitoba, who don't have access close to home, and this agreement allows them to do that,” he says. “But it seems clear that ministers are putting political ideology ahead of public care.”
In parliament last week, Mr Naas asked the Minister of Health to confirm that the Artur Health program would not be cut. Mr Nurse further said that when he questioned the availability of these services, the Minister of Health refused to meet him.
Nurse says it's important to remember that these are negotiated agreements. Despite talk of high costs for U.S. medical services, Nurse says these are negotiated agreements that are comparable in cost to services provided in Manitoba hospitals.
“Basically, it's not going to cost Manitoba ratepayers any more money to use U.S.-side health care,” Nurse said. “And that's not even being communicated to residents and explained to them by the Manitoba Health Authority.”
Nurse says changes to the Artur health system are hurting care for Manitoba residents, given the staffing shortages in health care across Manitoba.
“I will continue to work for southeastern Manitoba and make sure the health department gives us the answers we deserve,” Nurse added.
