Manitoba nurses report no meaningful improvements in overburdened hospitals despite the NDP government’s promises to fix the healthcare system.
Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson criticized the province for lacking transparency and collaboration, echoing concerns from the previous Progressive Conservative (PC) government.
“What we're finding is there's very little transparency from this government,” said Jackson at a news conference.
“There's almost no collaborative effort with this government and … we need our members' voices heard out there.”
The province claims it hired 1,255 new healthcare workers, including 481 nurses, since April 2023.
But Jackson said front-line staff see no relief.
“The day that announcement came out, I had messages from members asking, ‘Where are they?’” said Jackson.
Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara, a former nurse, defended the NDP’s approach on Thursday, stressing progress takes time.
"I can tell you as a nurse myself, as somebody who worked on the front lines under the previous PC administration, our government's approach is completely different than the previous PC government,” said Asagwara.
“We respect nurses, we value nurses and we've actively been listening to nurses in their workplaces.”
A union report released on Wednesday showed worsening conditions.
Emergency wait times, staffing shortages, overtime hours, and violence in hospitals have increased.
Nurses worked 1.1 million overtime hours in 2023-24, up from 800,000 in 2020-21, raising risks of errors and patient harm.
Nearly one-in-five nursing positions were vacant provincewide this summer, the report said.
A 2024 union survey of 1,326 nurses found 42% saw no improvements in care, while 23% said outcomes worsened.
Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre and other major hospitals ranked among Canada’s worst for high mortality rates.
Jackson urged the province to reduce reliance on private agency nurses and boost supports for new graduates.
Asagwara said changes are underway but acknowledged rebuilding trust after years of PC cuts “will take time.”
“Our hospitals are becoming unsafe places,” said Jackson.
“We’re treading water.”
