Hello, time traveler!
This article was published 03/12/2020 (1172 days ago), so the information in it may no longer be up to date.
Northeast Winnipeg residents who need a special will have to travel further to get one after the WHRA's Community IV program closes.
On Nov. 30, Access Transcona's IV program temporarily closed its doors, with nurses reassigned to WRHA's community IV and palliative care team to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
Initially, the closure was not publicized. Elmwood-Transcona MP Daniel Blaikie said he first heard about the closure from a patient who contacted his office. When he called the area's MLAs and the Manitoba Nurses Association, he said they were hearing the news for the first time from him.
“It's a shame the government didn't share this with the public,” Blaikie said. “For them to try to make these cuts in secret and not be up front about it is a further step in the wrong direction.”
On Nov. 27, Blaikie joined local NDP MLAs Nellow Altomare and Matt Wiebe and Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew for a press conference outside the ACCESS Transcona site at 845 Regent Ave. W on the morning of November 27th.
“We have people who are aging here, but to do that, you have to have services,” said Altomare, MLA for Transcona. “Without those services, that becomes a hardship.”
Radisson MLA James Teitsma stressed the closure is temporary and necessary as the province continues to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“The closure is only temporary while we deal with outbreaks and staff shortages in a significant number of Winnipeg personal care homes,” Teitsma said. “We can see how pressing this need is when we consider the serious outbreak affecting both staff and residents at our own Park Manor personal care home.”
Patients at the Transcona IV clinic will be temporarily served downtown or at Misercordia Hospital, Teitsma confirmed.
“ACCESS Transcona is an important part of providing health care to the people of Transcona and I will work to ensure that it continues to do just that,” Teitsma said, adding that he felt it was “irresponsible of the NDP to try to instill fear to the inhabitants of Transcona”. regarding the closing of the IV clinic. “As always, I will continue to advocate for better health care, sooner for my constituents.”
But Altomare said the government's assurances don't hold much water for him or the voters he's spoken to.
“This government says it will bring it back, but there is little evidence of that happening,” he said. “You can say you can pivot, but you don't have the people to actually do the work so you can be nimble. This is the problem . The pandemic exposes weaknesses that already existed and exacerbates them.”
The IV clinic isn't the only health care facility to close its doors in the area this week. On December 3, Concordia Hospital's CancerCare clinic also closed its doors, a decision that led thousands of residents to sign an anti-opposition petition calling on the government to intervene to keep the clinic open.
“We here in northeast Winnipeg have been singled out for cuts to health care,” Altomare said. “This started in 2016 and has not stopped. We'd like to be left alone for once so we can catch our breath.”
Northeast Winnipeg residents who need special care will have to travel further to get it after the WHRA's Community IV program closes.
On Nov. 30, Access Transcona's IV program temporarily closed its doors, with nurses reassigned to WRHA's community IV and palliative care team to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.
Initially, the closure was not publicized. Elmwood-Transcona MP Daniel Blaikie said he first heard about the closure from a patient who contacted his office. When he called the area's MLAs and the Manitoba Nurses Association, he said they were hearing the news for the first time from him.
“It's a shame the government didn't share this with the public,” Blaikie said. “For them to try to make these cuts in secret and not be up front about it is a further step in the wrong direction.”
On Nov. 27, Blaikie joined local NDP MLAs Nello Altomare and Matt Wiebe and Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew for a press conference outside the ACCESS Transcona site at 845 Regent Ave. W on the morning of November 27th.
“We have people who are aging here, but to do that, you have to have services,” said Altomare, MLA for Transcona. “Without those services, that becomes a hardship.”
Radisson MLA James Teitsma stressed the closure is temporary and necessary as the province continues to deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“The closure is only temporary while we deal with outbreaks and staff shortages in a significant number of Winnipeg personal care homes,” Teitsma said. “We can see how pressing this need is when we consider the serious outbreak affecting both staff and residents at our own Park Manor personal care home.”
Patients at the Transcona IV clinic will be temporarily served downtown or at Misercordia Hospital, Teitsma confirmed.
“ACCESS Transcona is an important part of providing health care to the people of Transcona and I will work to ensure that it continues to do just that,” Teitsma said, adding that he felt it was “irresponsible of the NDP to try to instill fear to the inhabitants of Transcona”. regarding the closing of the IV clinic. “As always, I will continue to advocate for better health care, sooner for my constituents.”
But Altomare said the government's assurances don't hold much water for him or the voters he's spoken to.
“This government says it will bring it back, but there is little evidence of that happening,” he said. “You can say you can pivot, but you don't have the people to actually do the work so you can be nimble. This is the problem . The pandemic exposes weaknesses that already existed and exacerbates them.”
The IV clinic isn't the only health care facility to close its doors in the area this week. On December 3, Concordia Hospital's CancerCare clinic also closed its doors, a decision that led thousands of residents to sign an anti-opposition petition calling on the government to intervene to keep the clinic open.
“We here in northeast Winnipeg have been singled out for cuts to health care,” Altomare said. “This started in 2016 and has not stopped. We'd like to be left alone for once so we can catch our breath.”
Sheldon Birney
Community Journalist
Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. The author of Missing Like Teeth: An Oral History of Winnipeg Underground Rock (1990-2001), his writing has appeared in magazines and online platforms across Canada, the US and the UK A husband and father of two young children, Sheldon enjoys playing guitar and rec hockey when he can find the time. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca Call him at 204-697-7112
Read full bio
