Treaty 1 and Dakota Territory, Homeland of the Red River Métis, Winnipeg MB – The Manitoba NDP revealed documents today showing nurses at Shared Health hospitals worked over 224,000 overtime hours from September 2022 to May 2023. That is equivalent to 25 and a half years in overtime in just nine months.

“There is a staffing crisis in health care and it has been caused by Heather Stefanson’s cuts,” said Uzoma Asagwara, NDP candidate for Union Station. “Nurses are burning out because of the massive amounts of overtime they are being forced to work to cover off the cuts Heather Stefanson has made to our health care system – it’s unfair and wasteful,” said Asagwara.

The PCs spent nearly $20 million on nurse overtime at Shared Health hospitals over the same period. The Manitoba NDP has previously revealed how the Stefanson PC Government has cut 300 nurses from Winnipeg alone since 2016. The Stefanson PC Government has also refused to pass legislation introduced by the Manitoba NDP to end the practice of mandatory overtime.

“For too long, nurses have been disrespected and ignored by this Premier,” said Asagwara. “We know there needs to be a different approach and that starts with showing nurses the respect they deserve. Only a Manitoba NDP Government will be able to start to fix the crisis in health care caused by Heather Stefanson’s cuts”.

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Note: This information only covers Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg and does not include overtime at other Winnipeg hospitals (St. Boniface, Concordia, Victoria, Seven Oaks, or Grace Hospital).

Read the FIPPA here.