Thei importance of ending long distance patient transfers when care should have been available locally

 

On Thursday March 10, I spoke on a resolution put forward by the NDP to end patient transfers.  While there were significant problems with the wording of the NDP resolution, there clearly have been major problems in the last several months with patients being transferred far out of their home communities, at a time when care should have been available in their home communities, and more effort should have been made to keep patients and close family members and friends closely connected at time when the patient is now well.   My comments on this resolution are below.

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): It is in connectedness that we find the very essence of what it is to be human. Relationships with others are vital to our existence. It is being able to share, to com­muni­cate and to help one another that is our strength, as humans. We can accom­plish so much more together. In relationships, we find empathy. In relationships, we find solace and support when times are difficult. There can, for example, be little worse than dying alone and far away from loved ones, and from those who are close.

      In con­sid­ering the decisions taken by the prov­incial gov­ern­ment during the pandemic, we hear again and again that the Conservatives say it was not our decision, it was a decision made by pro­fes­sionals.

      Let us be clear: it is the gov­ern­ment which sets the framework in which decisions are made. The gov­ern­ment could say, for example, we are going to strive to keep people closely connected to loved ones. We need to find a way to operate so that this is a priority.

      It is the gov­ern­ment which sets the principles and the priorities of the health-care system. Pro­fes­sionals work within these principles and priorities, and within the funding limits provided by the gov­ern­ment. And by and large, the pro­fes­sionals in Manitoba, the doctors, the nurses and so many more allied health pro­fes­sionals, have done an extra­ordin­ary job within the constraints of the principles and priorities and funding of the gov­ern­ment.

      Let us look–consider what it would look like with respect to patient transfers if one of the top priorities was people keeping people connected to their closest support person or persons.

      Let us consider the transfer of Denise Mignot from Concordia Hospital to Flin Flon, an 89-year-old who was in hospital starting February 4th. On Thursday, February 10th, when she was almost ready to go home, she was transferred to Flin Flon with just two-hours' notice to her primary caregiver.

      Her daughter, who was the primary caregiver, imme­diately called her husband to ask him to arrange to have Denise taken by ambulance to their home in River Heights, where they could arrange for pro­fes­sional in-home nursing services. Her husband imme­diately called Concordia, but, by this time, Denise was already in a plane to Flin Flon.

      A little more time to consider options would have led to the conclusion that it made more sense to send Mrs. Mignot to her daughter's home, where she'd be able to stay closely connected to her family instead of far away in Flin Flon.

      Let us consider the transfer of Clarke Gehman from Victoria hospital in Winnipeg to Russell hospital, and then to Reston. Sadly, he died from COVID contracted either at Russell hospital or Reston, or during the transfers. He could have been alive if connectedness had been a priority.

      Let us consider the transfer of Joan Hodgson. She was transferred from Winnipeg to Russell in January. Her primary caregiver was her son, Chris. Joan and Chris were mutually sup­port­ive. Chris had a very difficult time when his mother was transferred away. It broke his heart not to be able to see her, and he died when his mother was in Reston. His sister believes the out­comes for both would have been very different if her mother had been able to stay in Winnipeg.

      Staying closely connected to those who are your loved ones is critically im­por­tant. What a difference it  might have made if connectedness had been prioritized by this gov­ern­ment. It could have been prioritized by putting individuals, not necessarily into home care but in–even into a hotel with nursing care or a temporary hospital in Winnipeg, if the planning had been done–but it wasn't.

      To date, more than 300 people have been transferred out of their home com­mu­nity for care that should have been available in their home com­mu­nity. Many of these were elderly and frail. We support the ending of such patient transfers, where care could have been and should have been provided locally.

      We believe the NDP could have provided a much clearer alter­na­tive that they would have imple­mented. The origin of the transfers was policy under the NDP, even though the NDP may not have used it in quite this way.

      Because patient transfers are needed at times for patients to go to a centre where they can get better care, it is not about ending all patient transfers, but rather ending the type of transfer which is being used today, transfer to a com­mu­nity far away because there was poor planning, to better ensure care can be delivered in the home com­mu­nity.

      Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Merci. Miigwech.