Task force to deal with Manitoba's surgical backlog coming next week: health minister
Manitoba's health minister says the province is gearing up to name a special committee that will be tasked with tackling Manitoba's ever-growing number of backlogged surgeries.
According to a tracker from Doctors Manitoba, the surgical backlog in the province has grown to more than 13,000 procedures.
During a funding announcement for the Selkirk Regional Health Centre, Health Minister Audrey Gordon said a surgical task force will be named next Wednesday.
But some Manitobans dealing with delayed procedures are worried about any more waiting.
More than two years after coming to the Selkirk Regional Health Centre due to hip pain, Melissa Morrison said she finally got to see a specialist in August. But she's learned her hip replacement surgery can’t happen for at least another year.
"He showed me and it was bone on bone. He said, 'You absolutely need a complete hip replacement,'" she said. "Then when he told me it was over a year. I just cried."
Morrison is a nurse who worked at a care home in Selkirk, but due to the constant hip pain, is unable to work or do a lot of daily tasks without help.
"It is excruciating," she said. "If my residents and patients feel the pain I feel, it just breaks my heart."
Many Manitobans are waiting on surgical procedures, as the province is facing thousands of back-logged surgeries. Some patients are being sent out of their home communities to receive immediate medical care.
"There are family impacts, there are personal impacts for people who are leaving the region necessarily to be placed in other facilities that have capacity," said Dr. David Matear, the CEO of the Interlake Eastern regional health authority.
The province announced it would be putting $31.6 million into the Selkirk Regional Health Centre to help improve the level of care available to the local community by expanding the treatment capacity of the emergency room and adding 30 new acute care in-patient beds, allowing for more surgery patients.
READ MORE: Manitoba investing $31.6M in Selkirk hospital to help expand facility
The province is aware other health regions are in need of similar funding.
“So this is yet another step in the right direction and we will be making an announcement soon with respect to northern Manitoba as well as other areas," said Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.
Health Minister Audrey Gordon said Friday a task force to address the surgical backlog will be named next Wednesday.
“The focus is to ensure Manitobans receive their surgeries and the individuals who are on the task force that are surgeons, we need to ensure that their surgery slates continue,” Gordon said.
Morrison hopes action is taken soon as she is considering getting her procedure done out of province even if it costs thousands of dollars.
"You're living like this anyway, you have no quality of life," she said. "You might as well. That's something we're considering, which is sad because our province – it shouldn't happen."
Gordon said along with naming the task force, the province will set a timeline to clear the backlog and release data publicly on the number of backlogged surgeries.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
BREAKING Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
'Wild, wild west.' Families say organs of deceased Alabama inmates have been removed without their consent
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.