September 18, 2023 | Treaty 1 and Dakota Territory, Homeland of the Red River Métis, Winnipeg MB - The day after wait times at the Grace emergency room hit 17 hours, Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew announced his plan to bring wait times down by adding 12 additional step-down beds to the Grace hospital.  

“A seventeen-hour wait when you or your loved one is in pain is unacceptable,” said Kinew. “Heather Stefanson wants you to think the best she can do is the best we can do. But in this election, you can vote for better health care. Our plan to open three more ERs and add bed capacity to the Grace hospital, means you can be seen by a doctor faster. The time for excuses is over. It’s time for change.”  

The NDP's commitment to add 12 additional step-down beds will cost $3.6 million. These beds will have 1-1 patient ratios for higher acuity patients who are ready to move out of the ER.  

The Manitoba NDP also committed today to expanding surgical capacity at the Grace hospital. Instead of ignoring the surgeons at the Grace, Kinew said a Manitoba NDP government would work with them to find solutions to clearing the surgical backlog starting by adding five elective orthopaedic surgery beds, two surgical slates and restoring the physiotherapy department to its full capacity after it was cut by Heather Stefanson. The NDP is committing $5 million per year in operating funding to get this done.  

"We can end the surgical backlog by listening to surgeons and increasing capacity right here at the Grace,” said Kinew. “Time and time again Heather Stefanson has ignored Grace surgeons, but a Manitoba NDP government will take a different approach. We’ll work with surgeons to make sure Manitobans move off the waitlist and on with their lives.”  

A few weeks ago, Kinew committed to expanding surgical capacity at the Concordia hospital as part of his plan to re-open the Concordia ER. 

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