Skip to main content

Problems with the vaccine rollout in Manitoba continue

 On Thursday April 8, I asked in Question Period about the delays in vaccinations and the problems which are occurring with the process of delivering vaccinations.  As Tom Broadbeck  would point out in the Winnipeg Free Press six days later on April 14, with an inventory of 118,318 doses, "There are at least 100,000 Manitobans who should have been immunized  by now who aren't.  There  is no excuse for this.  Manitoba's vaccine rollout has gone from utter incompetence to gross negligence." My questions  and the responses from the Minister of Health and the Premier are below: 

COVID‑19 Vaccine Sites
Accommodations for Seniors

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, Liberals were contacted today by a Manitoban who tried to book a vaccine appointment for her mother, who has Alzheimer's.

      When she called to book the appointment, she was told she couldn't accompany her mother, that a health-care aide would do it if–if–one was available, but that the aide might not be able to stay with her and return her mother, who has Alzheimer's, back to her outside. So the appointment wasn't booked.

      When she asked assistance for people with disabilities like Alzheimer's, she was told there's a wheelchair ramp.

      I ask the Premier: Why do the operators booking vaccine appointments expect seniors with dementia or Alzheimer's to navigate the supersite alone?

Hon. Heather Stefanson (Minister of Health and Seniors Care): Madam Speaker, I thank the member for bringing this issue to the floor of the Legislature, I guess. I would prefer that he would bring it to my office so we can actually find a solution for this to ensure that this individual gets the vaccine that they need.

      Madam Speaker, I think it's very important when these issues come forward that we can work together. This is not a time to play politics with this on the floor of the Legislature. This is a very important issue. I suggest the member bring it to my office and we will work with this individual to ensure that this doesn't happen further, that–or, that they get their appointment and that this doesn't happen to anyone else out there.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for River Heights, on a supplementary question.

Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, but these are not just individual cases for constituents, these are systemic issues.

      Liberals had another upsetting call from a constituent, an 80-year-old senior who faced severe difficulties when going to the Winnipeg Convention Centre supersite. She went to the centre with her 87‑year-old husband. They were told their daughter couldn't accompany them. They stood in line for three hours.

      She has bad knees, but the chairs inside had no armrests, so she couldn't lift herself to standing. She doesn't want anybody to go through this sort of thing again.

      Can the Premier make sure by the end of today–today–by the end of today, that it won't happen again?

Mrs. Stefanson: Well, Madam Speaker, I'm sorry for this individual and the experience that they've had. Again, if the member brings it to my office, we would be happy to deal with this.

      The member mentions just a couple of cases here, Madam Speaker. This is–and then he says that this is a systemic issue. This is–these are individual cases that should be dealt with. Very important to ensure that these individuals get the vaccines that they need, and we'll continue to work with all Manitobans towards ensuring that those who are eligible get the vaccine as soon as possible.

Madam Speaker: The honourable member for River Heights, on a final supplementary.

Request for Military Assistance

Mr. Gerrard: Yes, Madam Speaker, how did anyone involved in the Premier's supersite facility ever think it was acceptable to force people in their 80s to stand for three hours in line?

      There are hiring shortages, while half-trained, half-time workers are staffing critical roles, while people with real expertise are sitting at home waiting to be called. For more than a year, it has never been clear who's been in charge of the pandemic response as fiasco after tragic fiasco rolls out. It's been 390 days of amateur hour.

      The former head of emergency measures says it's time to bring in the army. Manitoba Liberals agree.

      Does the Premier agree as well? Will he bring in the army?

Hon. Brian Pallister (Premier): Well, Madam Speaker, we're going to bring in the army, and I think we should have done it to get vaccines in this country a lot sooner than has been the case.

      I would have to say to the member that what is clear here is that the service that was offered to the two individuals he cited was not properly delivered, and what's clear here is that what is at least as improper is his attempt, through histrionic projections onto the floor of the Legislature, to score cheap political points on the backs of people who need better health care.

      So we'll focus on helping the people get better health care, and I hope in future he focuses on the same thing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dougald Lamont speaks at Meth Forum last night to present positive ideas to address the epidemic, while exposing the lack of action by the Pallister Conservatives

Last night at the Notre Dame Recreation Centre in St. Boniface, at an Election Forum on the Meth Crisis in Manitoba, Dougald Lamont spoke eloquently about the severity of the meth epidemic and described the Liberal plan to address it.  The Liberal Plan will make sure that there is a single province-wide phone number for people, or friends of people, who need help dealing with meth to call (as there is in Alberta) and that there will be rapid access to a seamless series of steps - stabilization, detoxification, treatment, extended supportive housing etc so that people with meth addiction can be helped well and effectively and so that they can rebuild their lives.  The Liberal meth plan will be helped by our approach to mental health (putting psychological therapies under medicare), and to poverty (providing better support).  It will also be helped by our vigorous efforts to help young people understand the problems with meth in our education system and to provide alternative positive
3 comments
Read more

Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

  Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020   (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: ·          We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. ·            We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted.  ·          We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to   improve ventilation and humidity long before the PCs acted. Helped hundreds of individuals with issues during the pandemic including those on social assistance
Post a Comment
Read more

The Indigenous Science Conference in Winnipeg June 14-16

  June 14 to 16, I spent three days at the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference.  It was very worthwhile.   Speaker after speaker talked of the benefits of using both western or mainstream science and Indigenous science.  There is much we can learn from both approaches.   With me above is Myrle Ballard, one of the principal organizers of the conference.  Myrle Ballard, from Lake St. Martin in Manitoba, worked closely with Roger Dube a professor emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, and many others to make this conference, the first of its kind, a success.  As Roger Dube, Mohawk and Abenaki, a physicist, commented "My feeling is that the fusion of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science methodology should rapidly lead the researchers to much more holistic solutions to problems."   Dr. Myrle Ballard was the first person from her community to get a PhD.  She is currently a professor at the University of Manitoba and the Director of Indigenous Science
Post a Comment
Read more