Manitoba providing financial assistance when hospital patients relocated
The Manitoba government is set to implement a new program that will provide financial assistance when a hospital patient is relocated to a facility outside their region.
The province announced the new program on Friday, saying it will provide assistance for meals, transportation and accommodations, and link people to community support resources.
The way the program works is that when a person is transferred outside of their community as a part of the inter-regional transfer policy, their regional health authority or service delivery organization will work with them and their designated support person to coordinate the financial assistance.
The program allows for up to eight visits a month by a designated support person and includes:
- Meal vouchers so the designated support person can eat with the patient when an on-site meal service is available. If an on-site meal service is not available, the program will provide a maximum of $8 for breakfast, $10 for lunch and $15 for dinner;
- Transportation help of return bus fare or gas expenses; and
- Help with accommodations of up to $70 per night plus taxes.
The program is in effect as of Friday. The province said it will work with about 250 patients that were transferred before Friday.
Dr. David Matear, health system co-lead of the Unified Health Sector Incident Command, said at a news conference that relocating patients is necessary to ensure Manitobans can access care in the most specialized health-care facilities.
“While we recognize the concerns of affected patients and their families about the distance from loved ones, we also appreciate their understanding that these transfers are necessary,” he said.
Matear said the interregional transfer protocol has resulted in 253 stable patients being transferred to facilities outside of their home region in the past three months. He noted this includes 39 transfers in the past week.
“As a reminder patients identified for transfer are assessed by a clinical team and matched to sites that can provide appropriate levels of care and that meet their needs,” Matear said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
WATCH LIVE As GC Strategies partner is admonished by MPs, RCMP confirms search warrant executed
The RCMP confirmed Wednesday it had executed a search warrant at an address registered to GC Strategies. This development comes as MPs are enacting an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power, summoning one of its contractors to appear before the House of Commons to be admonished publicly for failing to answer questions related to the ArriveCan app.
Disappointment widespread over budget's proposed $200-month disability benefit funding
Advocacy groups across Canada are expressing widespread disappointment about the amount of funding earmarked in the 2024 federal budget for the long-awaited Canada Disability Benefit.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.