‘A lot of hope’: New beds welcomed by medical leadership at Winnipeg’s HSC

In an effort to reduce wait times, the Health Science Centre is set to get 50 new beds, and it’s welcomed news for lead doctors at this trauma centre saying frontline staff can see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to addressing shortfalls in the province’s health care system. 

“Staff here feel overall: heard and happier,” said Dr. Manon Pelletier. “There’s a lot of hope in this building.” 

Of the 50 beds, 35 will be dedicated to medicine, 10 for psychiatrics, and five surgical beds. Twenty-seven of the medicine beds are already online. HSC leaders feel like they’re being heard by the current government. 

“It feels like a stronger partnership. Where there’s a better exchange of information and data and really working together as a team to really focus on what all Manitobans need, to deliver the best healthcare that we can.” 

The new beds are part of a $65 million investment by the province to reduce wait times and increase capacity in the system.

“We know that the biggest and most important pillar to staffing in our healthcare successfully is retention and making sure we are taking the steps needed to retain the experts and healthcare workers we have currently so we’re starting to see the data trending in the right direction,” said Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term care Uzoma Asagwara. 

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says the new beds will mean shorter waits and better care for Manitobans, but acknowledged the government is still far from the finish line on this issue. 

“We’re not here talking about mission accomplished. We’re here talking about first steps and next steps … but the bottom line is to folks working on the healthcare system: is that help is coming,” said Kinew. “And to folks who have been burnt out or stressed or who have been putting in that effort and wondering when that commitment is going to be matched? What we’re saying is that we’re going to match your commitment.”