Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS
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First Session - Thirty-Sixth Legislature of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS (Hansard) Published under the authority of TheHonourable LouiseM. Dacquay Speaker Vol. XLV No. 48A -1:30 p.m., Monday, October 16, 1995 ISSN 0542-5492 MANITOBA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thirty-Sixth Legislature Members, Constituencies and Political Affiliation Name Constituency � ASHTON, Steve Thompson N.D.P. BARRETI, Becky Wellington N.D.P. CERILLI, Marianne Radisson N.D.P. CHOMIAK, Dave Kildonan N.D.P. CUMMINGS, Glen, Hon. Ste. Rose P.C. DACQUAY, Louise, Hon. Seine River P.C. DERKACH, Leonard, Hon. Rob lin-Russell P.C. DEWAR, Gregory Selkirk N.D.P. DOER, Gary Concordia N.D.P. DOWNEY, James, Hon. Arthur-Virden P.C. DRIEDGER, Albert, Hon. Steinbach P.C. DYCK, Peter Pembina P.C. ENNS, Harry, Hon. Lakeside P.C. ERNST, Jim, Hon. Charleswood P.C. - EVANS, Clif Interlake N.D.P. EVANS, Leonard S. Brandon East N.D.P. FILMON, Gary, Hon. Tuxedo P.C. FINDLAY, Glen, Hon. Springfield P.C. FRIESEN, Jean Wolseley N.D.P. GAUDRY, Neil St. Boniface Lib. GILLESHAMMER, Harold, Hon. Minnedosa P.C. HELWER, Edward Gimli P.C. HICKES, George Point Douglas N.D.P. JENNISSEN, Gerard Flin Pion N.D.P. KOWALSKI, Gary The Maples Lib. LAMOUREUX, Kevin Inkster Lib. LATHLIN, Oscar The Pas N.D.P. LAURENDEAU, Marcel St. Norbert P.C. MACKINTOSH, Gord St. Johns N.D.P. MALOWAY, Jim Elmwood N.D.P. MARTINDALE, Doug Burrows N.D.P. McALPINE, Gerry Sturgeon Creek P.C. McCRAE, James, Hon. Brandon West P.C. McGIFFORD, Diane Osborne N.D.P. - MciNTOSH, Linda, Hon. Assiniboia P.C. MIHYCHUK, MaryAnn St. James N.D.P. MITCHELSON, Bonnie, Hon. River East P.C. NEWMAN, David Riel P.C. PALLISTER, Brian, Hon. Portage Ia Prairie P.C. PENNER, Jack Emerson P.C. PITURA, Frank Morris P.C. PRAZNIK, Darren, Hon. Lac du Bonnet P.C. RADCLIFFE, Mike River Heights P.C. REID, Daryl Transcona N.D.P. REIMER, Jack, Hon. Niakwa P.C. RENDER, Shirley St. Vital P.C. ROBINSON, Eric Rupertsland N.D.P. ROCAN, Denis Gladstone P.C. N.D.P. SALE, Tim Crescentwood SANTOS, Conrad Broadway N.D.P. STEFANSON, Eric, Hon. Kirkfield Park P.C. STRUTHERS, Stan Dauphin N.D.P. SVEINSON, Ben La Verendrye P.C. TOEWS, Vic, Hon. Rossmere P.C. TWEED, Mervin Turtle Mountain P.C. VODREY, Rosemary, Hon. Fort Garry P.C. N.D.P. WOWCHUK, Rosann Swan River 3853 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA Monday, October 16, 1995 The House met at 1:30 p.m. THAT the government is considering reducing access to emergency services; PRAYERS WHEREFOREyour petitioners humbly pray that the ROUTINEPRO CEEDINGS Legislative Assembly urge the Minister responsible for Health (Mr. McCrae) consider making a commitment PRESENTING PETITIONS to the people of Manitoba that emergency health care services in Winnipeg's five community hospitals will Emergency Health Care Services remain open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Community Hospitals TABLING OF REPORTS Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Inkster): Madam Speaker, I beg to present the petition of P. Morris, Dianne Bon. Vic Toews (Minister of Labour): I have the Reutcky, Jay Reutcky and others requesting the pleasure of presenting the First Annual Report of the Legislative Assembly urge the Minister responsible for Organization and StaffDevelopment Agency for the Health (Mr. McCrae) consider making a commitment fiscal year ended March 31, 1995. to the people of Manitoba that emergency health care services in Winnipeg's five community hospitals will Bon. Darren Praznik (Minister charged with the remain open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. administration of The Communities Economic Development Fund Act): Madam Speaker, it is my READING ANDRECEIVING PETITIONS privilege to table the Annual Report for the year ending March 31, 1995, for the Communities Economic Emergency Health Care Services Development Fund. Community Hospitals Introduction of Guests . Madam Speaker: I have reviewed the petition of the honourable member for Inkster (Mr. Lamoureux). It Madam Speaker: Prior to Oral Questions, I would complies wilth the rules and practices of the House. Is like to draw the attention of all honourable members to it the will o "the House to have the petition read? the public gallery, where we have this afternoon twenty-oneGrade 12 students from St. Claude School. An Honourable Member: Yes. These students are under the direction of Ms. Sharon Olson. This school is locatedin the constituency of the Madam Speaker: The Clerk will read. honourable Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Enns). Mr. Clerk (William Remnant): The petition of the On behalf of all honourable members, I welcome undersigned residents of the province of Manitoba you this afternoon. humbly sheweth ORAL QUESTION PERIOD THAT emergency health care services are the core Health Care System of Manitoba's health care system; Emergency Services THAT Manitobans deserve the greatest possible Mr. Gary Doer (Leader of the Opposition): Madam access to this care; Speaker, we have tabled minutes in this House from 3854 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA October 16, 1995 the emergency advisory working group that indicated Premier the 11th question. I would like him to start that five minutes delay could definitely affect the answering questions on behalf of his government. It quality of care in terms of the closure of community was his election promise to maintain health care emergency wards in the evening. services, Madam Speaker. It is his government's decision to withdraw those health careservices. Madam Speaker, over the last few days, we have heard informally and on the record people saying that I would like to table the guidelines from the College this could, in fact, result, unfortunately, in the loss of of Physicians and Surgeons dealing with emergency life if somebody had to be transported an extra ward hospitals, Madam Speaker, and in these distance, an extra1 0 or 15 minutes. guidelines, they specifically state that a physician should be on duty 24 hours a day. An emergency We have asked the government on a number of physician should be on duty 24 hours a day for urban occasions to reconsider its decision. I personally asked and suburban settings that have greater volumes than - the Premier (Mr. Filmon) on nine occasions to deal 25,000 to 40,000 patients per year. with this matter, and I would like to ask the Premier now whether he can inform Manitobans that he will I would like to ask the Premier, why has his overrule and overturn the decision of his Minister of government not followed the guidelines of the College Health and reopen the emergency wards on a 24-hour of Physicians and Surg�ons in terms of their decision, basis in our community hospitals. their hasty decision, to close the emergency wards in community hospitals, Madam Speaker? * (1335) Mr. McCrae: MadamSpeaker, when the strike came Hon. James McCrae (Minister ofHea1th): Madam to an end, the resumption of services began during the Speaker, prior to the strike of the 42 emergency daytime hours in all of the community hospitals, but physicians and 14 pathologists, the doctors were asked we have on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to postpone any action related to withdrawal of qualified and dedicated personnel at the Health services until the integrated emergency services plan Sciences Centreand St. Boniface Hospital. could be finalized. Madam Speaker, we also have on the streets an That did not happen, Madam Speaker. The ambulance system to ensure that patients can be taken - physicians left their posts, leaving us to put together a to hospital in very short order, and on Friday of last contingency plan to look after the patients during the week I ensured, Friday afternoon, that there were period of the labour disruption. The labour disruption nursing professionals on duty 24 hours a day at all of came to an end, I am very glad to point out. The the hospitals to deal with emergency cases that might physicians, most of them, I believe, have returned to present other than by ambulance or as a result of work. We have more capacity now back into the someone not knowing of the hours of opening at the emergency services system, and we have until the end community hospitals. of the year to complete the development of an integrated strategy for metropolitan Winnipeg. So we have made those resources available to the people of Manitoba, as well, Madam Speaker. Flexibility exists during that interim period, Madam Speaker, and we will take the concerns raised by the Mr. Doer: Madam Speaker, the Premier (Mr. Filmon) honourable member and concerns raised by anybody will not answer the questions. The Minister of Health else into account in the development of the plan prior does not answerthe question in terms of the College of to the end of the year. Physicians and Surgeons. Mr. Doer: That is the lOth question I have asked to He probably had not read the guidelines when he the Premier (Mr. Filmon), and I would like to ask the went ahead and proceeded to-if he has read anything October 16, 1995 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 3855 about this issue, it is very disappointing in terms of his ManitobaHealth will be considering the closure of the answer. He did not answer thequestion. psychiatric treatment unit at Grace Hospital. This is anotherexample of potential closure of psychiatric and In lightof thefact thatConcordia Hospital had over outpatient services in a situation that is already, to 36,000 patients, in the latest report, at their emergency quote memos that we have produced in this Legislature ward,and Grace Hospital,Seven Oaks, otherhospitals, withinthe last several weeks, in a very crisis situation.