Shared Health officials say they will continue to provide essential health-care services to the sickest and most injured patients ahead of a possible strike Tuesday morning.
Life-saving and high-priority surgeries, along with diagnostic testing, cancer surgeries and treatments and support at long-term care facilities will continue as scheduled, said Monika Warren, the Shared Health chief operating officer of provincial coordinated health services and chief nursing officer.
She said other services like home care could be affected.
“Typically, we would be reducing housekeeping and laundry type of services. It may mean a reduced bath schedule, but all the medication, wound care, all of those pieces are considered critical and will continue,” Warren said during a press conference on Monday.
Outpatient clinics may have changes in hours and there may also be delays in processing new patients accessing mental health and addiction services, she said.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jose Francois said approximately 250 elective surgeries could be delayed per week, depending on the length of the potential strike. Emergency rooms and urgent care centres will operate as normal, but people can expect to experience longer wait times.
Two weeks ago, 25,000 health-care support workers represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) served notice of job action on employer Shared Health, the organization that oversees health-care delivery in the province.
If the strike happens, essential health services involving health-care aides, laundry workers, dietary aides, ward clerks, recreation co-ordinators and other health-care support staff in hospitals and personal care homes, as well as those in the home care program, would have reduced services.
The strike would primarily affect patients and clients living in Winnipeg, Brandon, Dauphin, Selkirk, Portage la Prairie, Winkler and Steinbach.
Home care gap
Maureen Anderson, an 81-year-old lung cancer survivor with fibromyalgia, said she received a call from a home care worker informing her that she would not make the priority list.
Home care aides have been coming to her home in St. Boniface every day for the past five years to clean her commode and take out the trash.
Anderson said she could likely manage on her own for a few days, but she worries other people might not be as fortunate.
“What about the people that are just like I am, but they don’t do the bags and they got the [commode] building up?” Anderson said on Monday.
“I have no family left … I have to try and cope on my own,” Anderson said.
She has difficulty moving around her home and worries about what could happen if the bags she uses in her commode run out and no one is able to restock them.
“People have no idea what home care is,” Anderson said. “They see that you get home care and think that you’re completely and totally looked after. You’re not.”
A nurse also comes to check up on Anderson on the last Tuesday of every month, but she hasn’t heard if these appointments will be cancelled, she said.
Warren said non-essential services may be filled in by out-of-scope staff and that Shared Health can make adjustments to patient care based on any issues that may arise.
“To families with loved ones whose support services may be disrupted during a strike, we also encourage you to check in on your loved ones regularly,” Francois said.
“While priority home care services will continue, we know that any reduction in services particularly for our elderly population can have an impact on their mental or physical well-being.”
CUPE president Gina McKay said negotiations revolving around wage disagreements are ongoing and there is a strong possibility the strike will go through on Tuesday morning
“Many of these members are doing hard and sometimes thankless jobs … they’re reporting massive economic uncertainty, a dependence on food banks and charity, community services, including housing insecurity,” she said.
“We really need to lift them out of poverty wages.”
Thousands of health-care support workers are poised to strike starting Tuesday. Talks continued through the weekend, but MGEU and CUPE say they were unsuccessful. Some patients say they’re on the losing end of health care strike.