Skip to main content

Conservatives need to reverse catastrophic changes planned for Mature Women’s Health

Among the recent Pallister government cuts is the elimination of the Mature Women’s Centre at Victoria Hospital.  This misguided decision will reduce the quality of care for women and will not save many dollars because the result will divest services from a consolidated center of excellence, increase patient visits and will lead to more costly procedures and more expensive health care.

For more than 20 years, the team of physicians, nurses and allied health care workers who are part of the Mature Women’s Centre at Victoria Hospital, have provided superb health care for women throughout the menopause transition and particularly for those with complex issues like abnormal uterine bleeding and uterine fibroids.

The Mature Women’s Centre program is cost effective because:

1)  It is delivered cooperatively, in a nurse-managed fashion, by a superb team which includes a pharmacist, a dietitian and a kinesiologist.  This provides cost-effective use of nurses and allied health professionals to give excellent care.

2)  Surgical procedures normally done in a more expensive operating room setting are conducted in a much lower cost procedure room.  

3) Considerable numbers of women achieve effective alternative treatment which avoids or prevents the need for expensive hysterectomy surgery.

The Costs saved from a) are $144,221 per year, from b) are $283,130 per year, and from c) are from $135,000 to $360,000 per year.  The total cost savings from the Mature Women’s Centre programs are considerable (from 562,311 to $787,311 per year) and argue strongly against closing this program.

The province should build on excellence rather than destroying it.  A government that builds on excellence supports the development of high-quality programs that put patients first.  Building on excellence should be at the very core of our public policy.    

As MLA for River Heights and a candidate to be the next Leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, I call on the Pallister government to immediately restore the Mature Women’s Centre program.  It is vital to keep this high-quality program intact, along with its excellent interdisciplinary health team. 

If you, like me, are opposed to the elimination of the Mature Women's Centre, please email Kelvin Goertzen, the Minister of Health at minhsal@leg.gov.mb.ca or call him at 204-945-3731 to express your concern. 

 If I become leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party (“MLP”), I will work vigorously to support excellence in health care in Manitoba rather than destroying it.   Please help me do so by taking out a MLP membership and voting for me at October’s leadership convention.  Click on this link https://www.manitobaliberals.ca/donate  and be sure to put, in the space for a “Note” near the top of the second page (under the email), “in support of Jon Gerrard.”   Thank you for your help. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Manitoba School Boards have contributed much innovation and advancement of education in Manitoba

On Thursday March 25, in Question Period, I asked the Premier why he is getitng rid of school boards when they have contributed to much to the improvement of education in Manitoba.  My question and the Premier's response are below (from Hansard).  Manitoba Education System Elimination of Boards and Divisions Hon. Jon  Gerrard  (River Heights):   Madam Speaker, Manitoba school boards have been an incredible source of new ideas and innovation.       The White Horse Plains school board brought in audio and video links to Hutterite schools. The Seine River School Division piloted Roots of Empathy, to help kids learn empathy, and also Kids at Play: half-day kindergarten, half-day early-childhood education. The Seven Oaks School Division brought in Met schools. And there are many, many more examples.       Why is the Premier getting rid of school boards when they've done so well at listening to parents, at ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March.  South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory.   The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions.   This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14.  Manitoba ( red line )  started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then.   South Dakota ( blue line )   has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4.  Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations
18 comments
Read more

Being able to participate matters - Let’s build a more inclusive, accessible Manitoba

Too often, our homes, buildings, and outdoor spaces are designed without sufficient consideration given to how they will impact little people, those with large bodies, or those with disabilities.  Manitoba should become a leader in designing and building new structures so they’re comfortable and accessible to all.  Further, the province needs to do more to adapt our existing infrastructure, so that it meets everyone’s needs.   The design of our built environment makes daily living a challenge for too many.  A friend, who uses a wheelchair, must call ahead wherever she goes to ensure she can enter a restaurant, store, salon, etc. A young person in River Heights has a struggle each fall to make sure that with his cerebral palsy he is able to get the support he needs to do well in school.  A large-bodied man I know has been bedridden for five months because he lacks access to a usable lift or wheelchair.  Samantha Trubyk, President of the Little People ...
Post a Comment
Read more