Prevention of sickness is a vital component of health care planning

I have put forward strong reasons for having a province-wide preventative health care services plan. This plan is essential to improve the health of our population and to decrease health care costs in our province. Sadly under the NDP and so far under the Conservatives such planning has been very limited and we currently lack a province-wide preventative health services plan. As a result, we are continuing to see increases in the number of Manitobans with conditions like diabetes, HIV and addictions problems - as with the current methamphetamine epidemic. I have raised all these concerns in the Manitoba Legislature. Increasing evidence now supports the fact that well designed investments in prevention can improve health and decrease health care costs starting in the first year. It is is of great concern that we are well into the third year of the current Pallister government and yet we still do not have a province-wide preventative health services plan, or even a commitment to put such a plan in place.

If you support the province-wide need for a preventive services plan for Manitoba please sign the petition at this link.

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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

Pushing for safe consumption sites and safe supply to reduce overdose deaths

On Monday June 20th, Thomas Linner of the Manitoba Health Coalition, Arlene Last-Kolb Regional Director of Moms Stop the Harm and Winnipeg City Councillor Sherri Rollins were at the Manitoba Legislature to advocate for better measures to reduce deaths from drug overdoses, most particularly for safe consumption sites and for a safe supply, measures which can reduce overdose deaths.

There is an imperative to have a provincial plan to ensure every child learns to read

Too many Manitoba children with learning disabilities like dyslexia are not being identified and helped early on starting in Kindergarten and grades 1 and 2. The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that it is the provinces responsibility to ensure that every child learns to read, and even when, in the case of a child with dyslexia intensive intervention is needed. In 12 years Manitoba has failed to produce a provincial plan to address this issue. We are holding a Forum (see below) on this subject. Please come out to the Forum. There is no cost. Everyone is welcome. To learn more about the need to do better helping children, youth and adults with a learning disability click on this link

The Gerrard Report

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