Health care shortages continue to impact northern Manitoba

Staffing shortages continue to be a major problem in hospitals and health centres in rural and northern Manitoba. For the residents living in those areas, they are fearful the care won’t be there when they need it most.

It’s a situation that is progressively getting worse, residents in Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, about 979 km north of Winnipeg, continue to live without proper access to basic health care.

“Of course, I feel scared. There’s no hospital here. It’s always closing. I have a four-month-old. It makes me scared, yes,” explained Elvira Bighetty, resident of Leaf Rapids.

On July 12, the around 600 residents living in Leaf Rapids were informed that the emergency department closure would be extended until the end of August due to staffing issues. Bighetty has lived in Leaf Rapids for 16 years. She says she’s never seen anything like this before, and it’s putting unneeded stress on her family.

“I have five kids of my own, and I don’t want to travel two-three hours away if they are seriously hurt in an ambulance. They better have doctors and nurses here so they could help them here.”

And she isn’t the only one. Stella Spence, 72, suffers from asthma attacks often and is constantly in need of urgent care for other medical conditions. Last week, Spence suffered a medical emergency and was transported from Leaf Rapids to Lynn Lake by ambulance. The nearest community with an emergency department, which is about an hour and 20-minute drive northwest from her home.

“It took 40 minutes for the nurse to see me and another 60 minutes for the doctor to see me. I had and X-ray and was diagnosed with a lung infection,” explained Spence.

Spence says the long drive between Leaf Rapids and Lynn Lake, and the delays at the hospital almost killed her. She feels lucky to be alive.

“For elders that are not well, it’s not a very good situation,” added Spence. “This has to improve. It is unacceptable for people living up North.”

Spence says Leaf Rapids used to have a Medi-van that would transport patients between communities for emergency purposes, but that has since been removed. Rosalie Linklater says the emergency transportation needs to be brought back now.

“Our elders really need it because they don’t drive. All our kids that are here, they don’t drive. We need transportation back and forth to Thompson and other areas. We have appointments to go see doctors. We should at least have a nurse here,” said Rosalie Linklater, resident of Leaf Rapids.

CiytNews reached out to the Northern Health Region for comment on this situation. A spokesperson said that primary care and health services are still available between Monday and Friday during the day, citing it’s not a full closure of the health centre in Leaf Rapids.

“The NHR is dedicated to doing what they can to prevent closures of health centres. Review of staffing levels, as well as innovative models of care, are being planned and implemented with stakeholder involvement.”

But Bighetty feels the residents in Leaf Rapids, including herself, are forgotten and not cared about.

“There’s no one here, looking after us in Leaf Rapids.”

The emergency department in Leaf Rapids is expected to reopen on August 31st.