As we enter the busy summer months, when everyone – including doctors and nurses – looks forward to taking some much needed time off to enjoy the season with their friends and family, it’s concerning that the Minister of Health Theresa Oswald has no plan to ensure the health needs of Manitobans are addressed.

Year after year, the shortage of health care professionals around Manitoba continues to be most evident in the summer months when doctors and nurses in already understaffed hospitals and health centres take scheduled holidays.

Last summer, the McCreary/Alonsa Health Centre that was closed for all Acute Care services, the AMC Clinic in The Pas also issued a warning to residents about an extreme doctor shortage, and the Brandon Regional Health Centre was forced to cut a dialysis shift due to staff shortages. Add to that 18 rural emergency rooms are closed and it paints a clear picture about the unsafe state of the health care system in Manitoba.

Affecting the north today is the fact that there is only one nurse working at the Thompson Cancer Care centre and when she goes on her summer holidays, the entire cancer treatments program will grind to a halt.

Not only is it troubling there is only one nurse responsible to implement the chemotherapy program in Thompson, but also that there is no plan to cover this gap when that nurse’s holiday was presumably scheduled months in advance.

I’ve written to Health Minister Theresa Oswald for an explanation. I hope she responds with a concrete plan, because if history is any indication, this closure will be one of many Manitobans will experience during the summer months.

Sincerely,

Myrna Driedger

Progressive Conservative Health Critic.