A Manitoba Liberal government will build a regional hospital in Neepawa.

With Hector Swanson (centre) and Lorna Liddle in Neepawa

Today I was with Hector Swanson, our Liberal candidate in Agassiz constituency, to announce that a Liberal government in Manitoba will build a regional hospital in Neepawa.   Neepawa is a rapidly growing community which has increased in population from about two thousand twenty years ago to almost 5,000 today.   It is ideally suited for a site for a regional hospital.  To make this announcement, we stood near the Country Meadows personal care home which is an ideal location.   Indeed, when the care home was built, I understand the water and sewage, the kitchen and the laundry facilities were built large enough to accommodate a hospital beside the personal care home.   As I indicated in Neepawa this initiative to build the regional hospital in Neepawa will fit well with our plans to phase out the Regional Health Authorities and return facilities like this to local control, but with requirements to meet provincial standards.  I specifically indicated out desire for really good planning for the hospital so it will best meet the needs of the next several decades, and that it be built with forethought so that it can be readily expanded as the community and the region grow in population.  I also indicated the need to include and build upon the current obstetrical services for the region as there are many young mothers in Neepawa.  I believe, as an illustration, there are so many children being born in Neepawa that there will be six grade 1 classes this fall.  It will also need to be built with consideration of the hospital being a centre not only for acute care, but also as a centre to promote healthy living.   For example, the need for rehabilitation after cardiac surgery (likely done in Winnipeg), will require similar facilities as are needed to help provide leadership in excellence in fitness and nutrition as are critical to healthy living as well as rehabilitation.    There is much more to talk about, but I will leave this for the next phase of planning and getting input from people in Neepawa and the surrounding region.