Manitoba putting $812 million into new healthcare network, cancer care

Premier Brian Pallister, joined by healthcare leaders, is announcing what he says is the largest sum of funds being put into healthcare in the province's history.

Standing outside the Brandon Regional Health Centre Monday morning, Pallister and others were welcomed by the health region's CEO, Brian Schoonbaert, to announce the province's latest investment: $812 million for healthcare.

"Our vision for healthcare is a bold one, its transformative vision is based on improving access to healthcare, it is based on reducing wait times, it is based on making sure that services are available closer to home," Pallister says.

Newly-appointed interim Health Minister Audrey Gordan joined the announcement, saying this is part of the province's Clinical Preventative Services Plan, first announced in 2019. Pallister says this announcement is "not politically led in any way shape or form," saying it is building on previous healthcare plans and expansions.

 

Provincial Clinical Network

Chief Nursing Officer Lannette Siragusa joined the premier in Brandon, announcing $812 million towards Provincial Clinical Network, set to connect 38 seperate projects.

"Manitoba's Clinical and Preventive Services Plan is our roadmap for better care. It outlines the need for improved access, equality and equity across our health system, shorter wait times, as well as the ability to provide services closer to home," Siragusa says.

She says the Clinical and Preventive Services Plan will build the foundation for better services, addressing gaps in care the pandemic further highlighed. Sirgausa says ICU expansions are included in these plans.

 

Western Manitoba patients

The Brandon Regional Health Centre will be given $70 million to expand and renovate existing clinical spaces in the health centre and improving the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre.

"Nearly half of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime and essentially all of us will be touched by cancer in some form," Dr. Piotr Czaykowski, the provincial medical specialty lead of oncology and hematology with CancerCare Manitoba says. 

A 7,000-sq.-ft. expansion and renovation to the existing facilities will be undertaken, including adding more treatment spaces and additional exam rooms. A new medical linear accelerator (LINAC), used to give external beam radiation treatments to patients with cancer, will be added.

The doctor says the Brandon expansion will decrease the need for cancer patients to drive to Winnipeg for care.

"Provincially, nationally, globally, e need to be ready for the projected steady rise in cancer diagnoses and the ever-increasing time patients live with their cancer."

Approximately 30 new medicine beds will be added to the 300-bed facility, and a new intensive care unit with additional staffed adult beds. The neonatal intensive care unit will also see an expansion and renovation.