Manitoba NDP promises to set up cardiac centre if elected

Manitoba New Democrats are promising to improve cardiac care at the St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg if they win the Oct. 3 provincial election.

Leader Wab Kinew says he would spend $5 million a year to set up a centre of excellence for cardiac care.

He says the money would go to hiring five more perfusionists, who operate machinery used during open-heart surgeries, as well as specialists, researchers and other workers.

The New Democrats have focused much of their campaign on health care, including a promise to reopen three Winnipeg hospital emergency rooms that were downgraded by the Progressive Conservative government.

The NDP plan is supported by Bill Gibb, a perfusionist at the St. Boniface Hospital.

He says the cardiac science program has seen positions and funding cut in recent years and remaining workers are on call too often.