Operating a health care system with long waits for hip, knee and cataract surgeries is not optimal

On Tuesday May 10, I asked, in Question period, about the long wait times for hip, knee and cataract surgery. It is clearly not optimum to run a health care system like this because the surgery has to be done and it is better for the patient and less costly for the system if it is done in a timely fashion rather than have the long wait times which are present now, and which were present going back to the years when the NDP were in government.

Hip, Knee and Cataract Surgery
Wait Times in Manitoba

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Madam Speaker, the optimum way to run a health-care system to achieve the best care for Manitobans and the lowest cost to the Province is to have short wait times for critical procedures like hip, knee replacements, cataracts, cardiac surgeries.

Surgeries need to be done. But when there is a delay instead of a quick turnaround, the health issue gets worse, the pain and suffering is greater and it costs more to fix the health issue. Manitoba is near the worst in Canada in this respect, as CIHI reports today.

Why has this government, both pre-pandemic and now–and the government before it–been operating Manitoba's health-care system with long delays in the worst way for Manitobans who need care, and in the most expensive way?

Hon. Audrey Gordon (Minister of Health): I thank the member for River Heights for the question.

Wait times and our surgical and diagnostic backlog is a very important issue for this government. It's also a priority for our government. That is why in Budget 2022, Madam Speaker, we are investing $110 million to address the backlog, to reduce those numbers.

And it's not just about the numbers. Behind every number is a person, and so we want to ensure that every Manitoban knows that this government realizes that they are in need of their surgical procedures and their diagnostics, and we are taking action through our Diagnostic and Surgical Recovery Task Force.

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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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