Adding emergency doctors, nurses and support staff is great, but it won’t break the wait-time logjam

Premier Wab Kinew announced the recruitment of over 4,700 new health-care professionals and support workers in Manitoba, but health-care staff reacted with disdain rather than gratitude. Emergency department wait times remain high, and the announcement is tempered by this reality. Home care, while considered cost-effective, has received insufficient attention from the government.

Despite funding increases, there are still insufficient community resources and long-term care beds. This lack of downstream capacity means patients who no longer need emergency treatment are being placed in ERs, extending wait times. The lack of fully insured home care under the Canada Health Act has left home-based care as the "poor cousin" of the public health-care system.