Transcona clinic IV program shelved, staff redeployed to pandemic efforts
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$19 $0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then billed as $19 every four weeks (new subscribers and qualified returning subscribers only). Cancel anytime.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/11/2020 (1218 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
An IV centre in Transcona will be temporarily shuttered and its staff redistributed to provide COVID-19 support.
The Access Transcona clinic’s IV program provides antibiotic treatment for patients in the community. It will close as of Monday as services are moved to Misericordia Health Centre in Wolseley.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority stressed the closure would be temporary and nurses would be designated to the WRHA community intravenous and palliative care team focused on fighting COVID-19 outbreaks.
“The WRHA has been working as a system to support areas of care across the region that have an urgent need for staffing at this time, that includes personal care homes as an example,” a spokesperson said in an email Friday.
However, the decision not to publicize the closure is “despicable,” said NDP MP Daniel Blaikie, who represents the area.
“It just adds insult to injury to all the cuts that have been made to now have another cut, and to not even have them tell us about it,” he said.
The WRHA spokesperson said patients had been notified in advance; however, Manitoba NDP Leader Wab Kinew said he understood patients only found out after learning their treatment had been transferred.
Five to 10 nurses will be affected, Kinew said, adding the short notice given to health-care workers meant some did not know if they would be employed as of Friday.
“We’re talking about people who could potentially be looking at dramatic changes in their job, their income, never mind the impact on the patients, after the weekend.”
Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson said the union didn’t receive advance notice of the closure and had reached out to the WRHA for clarification, but received no response.
“The lack of clear information or rationale is frustrating for patient and nurses alike,” she said. “At a time when our health-care system is already facing unprecedented pressure, further upheaval without adequate communication only exacerbates the situation.”
Making the trip to Misericordia will be especially difficult for vulnerable people and the logistics of nurses providing at-home treatment in the area will be affected, Blaikie said.
It exacerbates the effects of recent health-care closures in the area, including the Concordia Hospital emergency room, he said.
“Enough is enough. People in northeast Winnipeg deserve to have care close to home.”
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: malakabas_
History
Updated on Friday, November 27, 2020 5:11 PM CST: Updated with MNU comment