Nursing shortage at Manitoba First Nations unacceptable, dangerous, leaders say

A Manitoba First Nation says a nursing shortage successful their organization has led to galore of its residents going without basal wellness attraction since past year.

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation — 800 km northbound of Winnipeg — has had to unfastened its nursing position only during emergencies, arsenic nan organization of 3,500 is served by only 2 nurses.

Chief Angela Levasseur said residents person to time off nan community, usually to Thompson, Man., 80 km west, moreover for nan astir regular health-care needs — moreover to refill medication.

At a property convention Monday, Levasseur and different Manitoba Indigenous leaders called connected nan national authorities to money an further 3 nurses for Nisichawayasihk.

“It results successful our people, including infants and elders, being denied captious aesculapian attraction and being told to spell to Thompson,” she said.

“That’s very problematic because nan Thompson General Hospital is ever very full. The emergency room is full. Thompson serves not only nan metropolis of Thompson, but galore different surrounding communities and First Nations, and they cannot grip nan added strain and unit of having each of our nation’s citizens recreation to Thompson to activity aesculapian care.”

Levasseur said nan business is unacceptable not only for nan First Nation’s population, but besides for nan nurses who are presently there, who are astatine consequence of burnout from being overworked.

The national government, she said, besides needs to reside nan costs spread betwixt what it pays nurses, and nan salaries offered by backstage nursing operations.

“In immoderate of nan worst situations, we’ve had reports of nurses moving astir nan timepiece successful a 24-hour period, possibly getting 2 to 3 hours of sleep, and that is unacceptable.”

Nisichawayasihk isn’t nan only bluish First Nation struggling pinch a health-care crisis.

Chief David Monias of Pimicikamak Cree Nation has previously raised nan alarm astir nursing woes astatine bluish First Nations, and said Monday that his organization is allotted 13 nurses, but nan existent number of wellness workers is acold lower.

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“We mean anyplace from 5 to six nurses to work astir 8,000 people,” Monias said Monday.

“And this forces nan nursing position to adjacent down for emergency purposes only. I don’t cognize what happens to that money that’s been saved by each these shortages.”

Monias said he has inquired astir getting backstage nurses up to Pimicikamak to capable nan gaps, but was told there’s not capable backing disposable to make that happen.

“If that were you, I deliberation you would outcry retired nan aforesaid measurement that we are,” he said.

“The mostly of our group dice arsenic a consequence of wellness and deficiency of aesculapian services. And that’s a plain fact. It’s a truth that we proceed to spot time successful and time out.”

— pinch files from The Canadian Press