Letter to the editor — An open letter about the Dauphin hospital

Minister Asagwara,

I am writing following my visit to Dauphin on Tuesday, July 14, where I met with community representatives, residents and health-care professionals regarding the closure of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre due to the devastating flooding affecting the region.

During that visit, I met with residents and health-care professionals affected by the closure. I also sought to visit the hospital to assess the damage firsthand and better understand what support may be required as I continue working with my federal counterparts.

Despite repeated efforts by myself and my office, Prairie Mountain Health failed to respond in a timely manner or facilitate a visit. Instead, they offered a Microsoft Teams meeting nearly two weeks later. Offering a virtual meeting weeks into the closure of a critical regional hospital is insulting to the seriousness of this situation and demonstrates an unacceptable lack of urgency.

This is particularly troubling given that Premier Wab Kinew and members of the media were permitted to visit the facility, suggesting that political considerations may be influencing what should be a non-partisan response.

Residents and health-care professionals facing immediate disruption should not have to wait weeks for Prairie Mountain Health leadership to engage with their elected representatives. The community expects all levels of government to work together.

Even more concerning, health-care professionals raised serious concerns with me about the lack of timely information and visible attention from Prairie Mountain Health’s senior leadership.

Front-line workers are operating under extraordinarily difficult circumstances while being left without adequate updates or clear direction.

It also remains unclear whether Prairie Mountain Health’s chief executive officer has personally visited the hospital or directly assessed the damage. Leadership cannot be exercised from a distance during a time of crisis.

I have also received troubling reports about the temporary triage clinic established in response to the hospital closure. This includes information that the clinic may not have the medications, equipment or clinical capacity required to treat patients who arrive with a medical emergency and must instead call 911 for transportation to another facility. This raises serious questions about the level of care the clinic actually provides to residents seeking urgent treatment and whether the public has been clearly informed about its limitations.

Physicians have proposed practical temporary solutions, including a mobile medical unit, yet I am advised that these proposals have received no meaningful response from either your department or Prairie Mountain Health.

I have also heard that there has been little communication or co-ordination on the ground among Prairie Mountain Health’s senior leadership, physicians and other health-care professionals. Front-line workers appear to be operating without consistent information or a co-ordinated plan. These reports require immediate investigation and a clear public explanation from your department and Prairie Mountain Health.

Residents are already facing disrupted care and uncertainty about when essential services will return. Delayed responses and limited public information from your department and Prairie Mountain Health are further eroding confidence at a time when the community needs action.

I am asking you to ensure that your department and Prairie Mountain Health’s senior leadership are present in Dauphin, communicate regularly with health-care professionals and the public, and provide clear information on the plan and timeline for restoring hospital services. Every level of government should be working together to support the people of the Parkland region.

At the federal level, I have been working with the Minister of Emergency Management to ensure the federal government understands the severity of the flooding and the urgent needs facing the region. I have appreciated their responsiveness to date. I have also called for targeted federal assistance to support the restoration of hospital services. However, delayed responses and absent leadership undermine that co-operation and our ability to support affected residents.

Sincerely,

DAN MAZIER

Member of Parliament for Riding Mountain