The Gerrard Report

On October 2 I asked in Health Estimates measures that the government is taking to address the fact that an individual in Brandon is having to go out of province for health care because she can't be sure the health care clinics and hospitals in the Prairie Mountain Health region or elsewhere in Manitoba are latex safe.   Part of the issue here is that when a person is sensitive to latex in the air (an airborne as opposed to a contact allergy) that it is important to have a facility which does not use latex - in particular latex gloves or balloons in the building - and this includes gloves used in the cleaning and food services departments and not just in the direct delivery of care.   I asked about this issue in Estimates.  My questions and the Minister's responses are - from Hansard - below: Mr. Gerrard:  I have been talking with an individual who lives in Brandon who is having trouble getting access to health care and to dental care in Brandon. She has ...

On October 2, in Health Estimates I asked the Minister of Health what is government is doing to reduce the number of knee and hip surgeries needed.  Sadly, he completely failed to answer my question but rambled on about other matters.   It is time we start paying attention to preventing sickness, to helping people keep healthier and to reducing sickness.  Reducing the number of hip and knee surgeries is an example.  Clearly, in this area of prevention, the Minister of Health is missing in action.  Mr. Gerrard:         One of the things that we need to do is much more effectively prevent issues. We do a lot–for example–of hip and knee replacements in Manitoba, and one of the things that clearly needs to be done is to make sure that we are doing everything that can be done to reduce the number of knees and hips that need replacing.       What is the minister doing in this respect in terms of prevention? ...

Earlier today I presented a wreath at the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Fort Garry Legion.  Jim Carr and John Orlikow were also present, and also laid wreaths.   Thank you to all those who were involved in organizing or attending events throughout Manitoba.  

Tuesday October 8, I asked the Premier what he will do to address the high number of falls being experienced by individuals in Manitoba's personal care homes.  I cited specifically the case of Heather Houston's father who had 22 separate falls in three different health care institutions in Winnipeg.  Instead of taking the responsibility which is his, he tried to divert the responsibility to the federal government, and he tried to suggest I was being abusive in asking the question.   It is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure personal care homes are run in a way that residents are not falling.  It is the Premier and the Minister of Health's responsibility.  Even  if one were to argue that the federal government has a role in funding health care, the Premier is not off the hook because he has been receiving big increases in health care funding from the federal government and he has not been using the money on health care and he has not be...

On Tuesday October 8, I spoke in the Manitoba Legislature on a Member's statement to recognize that October is Rett Syndrome Awareness Month.  Rett Syndrome Awareness Month Hon. Jon  Gerrard  (River Heights):  Rett syndrome, Madam Speaker, a rare neurologic condition,  is being recognized this month, which is Rett Syndrome Awareness Month.       This condition, characterized by typical repetitive hand­washing hand movements, primarily affects girls and more rarely and more severely boys. It can lead to severe impairments, affecting nearly every aspect of a child's life, including the ability to speak, walk, eat or breathe easily.       It is like having the symptoms of autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's, epilepsy and anxiety disorder all at once. It is caused by one of many different mutations on the X chromosome in a gene called MECP2. The extent of the disability varies from mild to severe d...

Violent crime, as measured in the violent crime severity index has gone up sharply under the Pallister government in Manitoba.   We used to be similar to Saskatchewan, but no longer.  We are now an outlier.   Violent crime has gone up more than 30 points in Manitoba from 2015 when the violent crime severity index was 138.6 to 2018 when the index had risen to 169.8.   In contrast, in Saskatchewan, the index today is very similar to what it was in 2015.  In Alberta and British Columbia violent crime has decreased since 2015.  Something is rotten in Manitoba under the Pallister government.   I asked what the problem was in Estimates yesterday.  The Minister of Justice replied that he did not know what was going on. It is also worth noting that compared to the rest of Canada in 2018, the violent crime severity index was 169.8 in Manitoba while it was 82.4 in all of Canada.   We are far higher in terms of  violent...

On Wednesday, October 2 in Estimates, I asked the Minister of Health (Mr. Cameron Friesen) about the testing of children and adults in Winnipeg to see if people in Winnipeg were treated comparably to people in Flin Flon when testing was done there at a time when there was concern over high lead levels.  It is particularly important to check lead levels in children in areas where they may be exposed to lead in the environment because there is good evidence now that public health interventions, done early, can improve outcomes in children who have high lead levels, while the lack of such public health interventions may result in children with learning or behavioural issues.    As you will note from the Minister's response, he focuses on the NDP coverup of information on lead levels, but he fails to answer my question as to whether lead levels were measured in children in lead affected regions of Winnipeg.  My question and the Minister of Health's response is below. ...

Yesterday in the Legislature I  asked the Minister of Health questions about the care of seniors in personal care homes in Manitoba.   I specfically called for the Minister to increase the training and staffing requirements for personal care homes in Manitoba to bring them up to date.   My questions, the Minister's comments and the Speaker's interjection are below:  Personal-Care-Home  Improvements - Need for Upgrades to Standards and Training Hon. Jon  Gerrard   (River Heights): Madam Speaker, we're very concerned this government is not adapting to the reality of caring for seniors who are living longer. Seniors living in our personal-care homes today have much more challenging health-care conditions than those who were in similar homes even five years ago, and yet the staffing formula, or minimal personnel requirement, is over 20 years old. Too few care aides and nurses are adequately trained to look after residents with dementi...

The crowd swelled out from the steps of the Manitoba Legislature - out into the lawn at the front, out to both sides.   It was impressive.   Students on strike from their classroom had come to participate and to learn from the speakers and to show their concern that urgent action is needed to address climate change and to save our planet.  I was proud to have two grand children who had come.  One had walked with friends for one hour - a zero-carbon walk in order to get there from their school in St Boniface.  She and her friends want a future for themselves and for all who live on our planet. 

Thursday September 26th, Dougald Lamont, Cindy Lamoureux and I were sworn in as MLAs by the Clerk of our Legislative Assembly - Patricia Chaychuk.