NDP trying to solve health-care problems from every angle — except the one likely to have the biggest impact

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority reported record-high emergency-room wait times in July, with the 90th-percentile wait time reaching an alarming 13.02 hours. This statistic is far beyond what can be considered a mere wait; instead, it represents an endurance test for patients seeking care. The situation has deteriorated significantly, with Grace Hospital recording the longest wait time at 16.28 hours in July, up from 10.35 hours in the same month last year. St. Boniface Hospital also saw a rise in its wait time to 16 hours in July.

While the government has increased spending, hired more workers, and implemented measures to improve patient flow, there remains no long-term strategy to substantially increase community-care capacity. This lack of planning is evident in the fact that when medical wards are full, admitted patients remain in emergency departments, and when emergency departments are full, new patients have nowhere to go. Consequently, emergency departments have become waiting rooms for the entire healthcare system.

The NDP government has made an effort to address some of the obvious issues, such as increased spending and hiring more workers. However, there is still no comprehensive plan to dramatically increase community-care capacity, which is crucial for unclogging hospitals. Hospitals cannot function properly if patients cannot be discharged due to a lack of appropriate community-care options.

Similarly, emergency departments cannot operate effectively if their treatment spaces are being used as overflow wards for admitted patients.

The July numbers should serve as a warning that the current approach is not working. A 13-hour wait time should not be normalized, nor should patients spend days in emergency departments waiting for hospital beds, or occupy hospital beds for weeks. Building far more capacity at the other end of the system, such as personal-care-home beds, assisted living, home care, and supportive-housing options, is essential to alleviate the pressure on the emergency department and ensure proper patient care.