Paramedic Crisis in Western Manitoba Demands Immediate Action
SHOAL LAKE — The Progressive Conservative Caucus is sounding the alarm over a critical paramedic staffing shortage in western Manitoba.
New data obtained by the Official Opposition reveals that staffing levels in key Emergency Medical Service (EMS) stations across Westman have reached a crisis point. Shoal Lake’s EMS station has only one paramedic for 13 intended positions, Virden has just nine of 17 positions filled, Russell has five of 13, and Erickson has two of four positions filled. These dire shortages are leaving massive geographic areas of the province with insufficient EMS services.
“The NDP government is abandoning rural Manitobans,” said Roblin MLA Kathleen Cook, PC Critic for Health. “Timely emergency care is a basic right, yet residents in western Manitoba are left wondering if an ambulance will even be available in an emergency. The NDP are putting lives at risk, and we demand real leadership now.”
Ongoing emergency room closures in the region have exacerbated this crisis. In December, only seven of 30 emergency rooms in Prairie Mountain Health were operating at full capacity and reliably open 24/7. Hospitals across the region were closed for a total time of 89 days in December, with emergency departments, like the one in Carberry, closed for more than half the month.
“These shortages and closures aren’t just numbers—they’re real threats to rural Manitobans’ safety,” said Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt. “The NDP must act now before a tragedy happens and lives are lost.”
The Progressive Conservative Caucus is urging the NDP government to take immediate action to address the critical paramedic staffing shortage in western Manitoba. The PCs are calling on the NDP to provide accommodations for paramedics in Shoal Lake to make the area more attractive for staff, which could help alleviate the strain on the severely underserved EMS station.
Additionally, PCs are demanding the immediate release of a comprehensive plan to expand primary care paramedic training opportunities outside of Winnipeg. This initiative would create more accessible training options for rural and northern Manitobans, enabling them to serve their local communities more effectively.
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For media inquiries, please contact PCCaucus_Media@leg.gov.mb.ca