NDP promises more care-home beds

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This article was published 14/08/2019 (1715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s New Democrats are promising to open 80 new personal care home beds in east Transcona, if they’re elected to government.

Leader Wab Kinew made the party’s latest announcement placing health care centre stage in the provincial election campaign Thursday, promising dozens of new beds at Park Manor Personal Care Home.

He pledged a total of $21.3 million; about $263,000 per bed, which the party said will cover each its full cost.

“More than just a need for beds, there is a need for beds in people’s own neighbourhoods,” Kinew told reporters, adding he’s heard from community members about a need for such services closer to home.

The NDP would build those beds during its first term, if elected Sept. 10, he said.

Earlier this week, the party pledged to implement free two-hour parking at hospitals across the province.

Standing outside Park Manor, Kinew made Thursday’s announcement in the same spot where Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister promised during the 2016 campaign to expand personal care home beds across the province.

Pallister then promised 1,200 such beds, but only first took action with the announced construction of a 143-bed home in Steinbach earlier this year. He later approved a 110-bed facility in Carman.

The Pallister government had been criticized for halting personal care home construction because of its insistence provincial funding be capped at $133,000 per bed.

Following the announcement, a PC spokesperson said the construction of the Steinbach and Carman facilities is expected to start in the fall.

The Priority Home program, which provides short-term transitional care, as well as the establishment of transitional care beds for patients who can leave hospital care but aren’t ready to return home or move to a long-term facility, have also reduced wait times under the PC government, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

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Meanwhile, the Liberals put a focus on mental health care Thursday.

While on the campaign trail, Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said he perceives the NDP to be “sort of nickel-and-diming their platform,” with small announcements “in an attempt to look moderate.”

“We’ve been trying to talk about the big problems and big challenges that we’re facing here in Manitoba, rather than talk about, ‘Well, we think that the issues of personal care homes are going to be solved with 75 new spots.'”

— with files from Jessica Botelho-Urbanski

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Maggie Macintosh
Reporter

Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Winnipeg Free Press. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative.

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