WINNIPEG, MB – Brian Pallister has fired 250 nurses and health care aides from Winnipeg Hospitals since 2018, documents show, while essential health care areas are being starved of support.

These numbers show the scale of the crisis Brian Pallister’s cuts are causing in our health care system. Brian Pallister’s cuts means there are hundreds fewer nurses and aides by the bedside and Manitoban are feeling Pallister’s cuts. How can they believe him now?

Documents obtained by the Manitoba NDP show:

• In 2018/19, there are 250 fewer nurses and health care aides in Winnipeg Hospitals than in 2017/18

• Over 30 Critical Care nurses and health care aides have been cut pushing the vacancy rate to nearly 25% as cancelations caused the wait list for cardiac surgery to double this past year;

• Nearly 20 nursing and health care aides have been cut from Emergency and Urgent Care Departments, pushing the vacancy rate to nearly 23% - an almost 5% jump from last year as Pallister closed two more ERs;

• 75 nurses and health care aides have been cut from Surgery and Anesthesiology departments, with an almost 25% vacancy rate, while wait times for hip, knee and cardiac surgeries have worsened every year since 2016.

After closing three Emergency Rooms, Brian Pallister has made deep cuts to front line health care and the damage is showing – hundreds of fewer nurses and aides working in critical areas across Winnipeg Hospitals. We need more nurses and aides by the bedside not less – and the Manitoba NDP is committed to making sure every Manitoban has access to health care when they need it.