The Manitoba government is working to improve cardiac care in the province by bringing back a program that was previously dismantled. On Friday, Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced the re-establishment of a cardiac centre of excellence at St. Boniface Hospital. The province noted that this $22-million investment will expand the hospital’s inpatient cardiology capacity by 19 beds, allowing more Manitobans to access care and improved patient flow. It will also bring improved access to catheterization, more timely access to transcatheter aortic valve implantation, and quicker cardiology consults in the emergency department. “Taking care of Manitobans when they need attention for heart conditions, for heart disease is such an important priority,” Kinew said at a news conference. “I think each and every one of us can talk about a loved one or a friend who’s been affected by these conditions.” Friday’s announcement also included the creation of a new cardiac assessment unit at St. Boniface Hospital. Through this unit—dedicated to expediting consults and workups—patients with heart-related concerns will be seen more quickly. “These are real changes that are going to affect real Manitobans,” Asagwara said. “They’re going to help reduce wait times. It’s going to help ease pressure on our emergency departments and fundamentally change and improve care for patients.” In a statement, Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals, said the organization expects to see some of this investment go toward retaining, training and recruiting allied health professionals to handle the testing, monitoring and intervention needed by cardiac patients. “Government is now promising more capacity when they have no plan to fix existing staff shortages for respiratory therapists, perfusionists, cardiology technologists, and many other specialized allied health professionals that are needed to do this life-saving work,” he said. “The health minister spoke today of the previous government not having a staffing plan. We are still waiting to see one from this government.”
