Minister reassures efforts to recruit nurses

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This article was published 30/03/2023 (1316 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was a pause in construction at the Brandon Regional Health Centre on Tuesday, as Manitoba’s premier and health minister checked on the progress of the government’s nearly $110-million investment.

The expansion and renovation of clinical spaces at the hospital began last fall for a new intensive care unit, an addition to the second floor for more medical beds, and a renovation to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Also being built on the hospital grounds, and included in the government’s investment, is the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre, which will offer cancer treatments and care to those in Westman.

Funding for both projects was announced in 2019 under then-premier Brian Pallister, but Stefanson said investments like these that improve the health and well-being of Manitobans are important.

“The government remains steadfast in our commitment to health care in Manitoba, and we are providing historic investments to help reduce wait times improve access and provide more services to Manitobans closer to home,” Stefanson said.

In addition to funding from the provincial government, financial contributions have been made by the Brandon Regional Health Care Foundation, the City of Brandon, and the municipalities of Elton, Whitehead and Cornwallis, according to Prairie Mountain Health CEO Brian Schoonbaert, who is looking forward to the hospital’s additions.

“There will be four storeys with a new 16-bed intensive care unit, 30 additional medical beds — bringing our number up to 90 beds — and we’re renovating our existing neonatal intensive care unit,” Schoonbaert said. “There is even space on the fourth floor for potential expansion in the future.”

It’s not known how many new medical personnel will be required to work in the new and expanded spaces, but Health Minister Audrey Gordon said her government’s health human resource action plan will recruit workers, specifically nurses.

The $200-million action plan was announced last November, and is the government’s attempt to retain, train and recruit health-care professionals, which Gordon said they’re doing by creating incentives and attracting people from overseas, such as the Philippines.

“So, it’s about a little bit of build it, they’ll come, you know, but recognizing that meaningful and concrete steps must be put in place for that to happen. That’s where the health human resource action plan is helping,” she said.

The government is also providing funds for the construction of Neepawa’s new hospital under its clinical and preventive services plan, which will see investments go to health centres in Dauphin, Selkirk, Morden-Winkler, Steinbach and Ashern.

In Brandon, the target completion date for the additions and renovations at the hospital is 2025.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

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