Borderland MLA Josh Guenter Urges NDP to Maintain Operations at Emerson Personal Care Home
EMERSON — Borderland MLA Josh Guenter is calling on NDP health minister Uzoma Asagwara to prioritize staffing and resources for the Emerson Health Centre and Personal Care Home amid growing concerns over vacant suites, staffing shortages, and the facility’s future.
“I’ve heard from numerous families who are desperately trying to secure personal care for their loved ones only to be told there are no vacancies,” said Guenter. “There are actually eight vacant suites at the Emerson personal care home, but these families are also being told these rooms can’t be used because of staffing challenges.”
Currently, there are job postings for six care aides and five registered nurses in Emerson, Guenter noted. At the same time, the NDP government has been advertising claims that it has hired hundreds of new workers in healthcare.
“With all these supposed new workers, why isn’t the health minister filling the vacancies in Emerson and allowing families to access local care for their loved ones?” said Guenter. “This facility was once a fully functioning hospital with an emergency room. Gary Doer’s NDP closed the emergency room in 2002 and now it seems Wab Kinew’s NDP wants to close the facility entirely. That’s unacceptable.”
Guenter is urging the NDP and Minister Asagwara to take immediate action to maintain and enhance operations at the Emerson Health Centre and Personal Care Home.
“The community relies on this vital facility to care for their loved ones,” he said. “The NDP needs to fill the staffing vacancies and open the vacant rooms immediately so Emerson residents can properly care for their elderly loved ones.”
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