The Manitoba Health Coalition (MHC) announced a call for a Public Inquiry into the province’s handling of COVID-19, to be conducted immediately, so that a report can be published in 2022.
Thomas Linner, Provincial Director of the MHC said the government must act quickly to restore public confidence in the pandemic fight, adding that the establishment of “an independent public inquiry is a crucial first step to assuring Manitobans that there will be a proper review of the government’s conduct. It’s vital that people know the concerns expressed by families and health care providers will not be swept aside.”
The MHC also calls upon the Stefanson government to take the following steps:
· Immediately moving the province from Code Orange to Code Red on the pandemic preparedness scale
· Publicly releasing all public health advice received by the Premier and Minister of Health since the arrival of the Omicron variant in Manitoba
· Immediately supporting front-line health care workers with intensive recruitment and training for hospitals and Personal Care Homes (PCHs)
· Releasing the 2022 Health Budget early to allow health regions and facilities to plan effectively for the potential of future waves of COVID-19
· Taking responsibility for the cuts to ICU capacity and staffing and Personal Care Homes (PCHs) that hampered the health system’s ability to respond to COVID-19
· Ending for-profit long-term care in Manitoba in recognition of the deadly results in Winnipeg’s for-profit PCHs
· Establishing a Seniors’ Advocate in Manitoba
To read more on the call for the COVID-19 Public Inquiry, please visit: https://www.mbhealthcoalition.ca/manitoba_health_coalition_calls_public_inquiry?recruiter_id=233