On Wednesday May 11, I gave a salute to Indigenous Nurses. My comments from Hansard are below.
Indigenous Nurses Day
Mr. Gerrard: Madam
Speaker, Indigenous Nurses Day, today, is a vitally important day
for our province. I've been to many First Nation and Métis communities in
Manitoba and met many Indigenous nurses. I recall, as an example, visiting
Cross Lake-Pimicikamak and meeting four nurses there running a very
busy health clinic.
When
Judy Klassen took us to visit a community on the east side of Lake
Winnipeg–I believe it was Berens River–the MLA for St. Boniface and I met
a nurse who was trying to do an almost impossible job. In St. Theresa Point, we
visited a health centre where the power had been out for many, many hours and
staff had to meet challenges beyond what most health professionals would have
to deal with.
Yesterday, I gave a ride to an Indigenous nurse who currently has to use a
wheelchair. Her initial injury resulted from an accident at work at a location
not covered, so far, by workers compensation. I'm also concerned, from her
story, that with her, sometimes the health care being provided to her in
Winnipeg may not be as good as it could be because she's Indigenous. Part way
through her healing, she was assaulted on the street and reinjured. Are there
still residues of the attitude we saw towards Brian Sinclair? I
hope not, but I fear so.
We need
to be sure that all Indigenous people are treated well. The Indigenous nurse I
met yesterday is absolutely dedicated to her profession and very much wants to
be back working in her home community as soon as possible. Indigenous nurses in
Manitoba are making a tremendous contribution, in particular with respect to
ensuring culturally appropriate care, in their visibility and their connections
to community.
We
salute them together, today, but we need to remember that they're making their
contributions every day, every week, every month, every year.
Speaking
on behalf of Liberal MLAs, I say miigwech. Thank you to all Indigenous nurses
for all you are doing for Manitobans, for our province and for communities
throughout our province.
Merci.
Miigwech.
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