The announcement – made today by Health Minister Erin Selby in front of the Manitoba Legislature alongside fellow MLA Dave Gaudreau and MGEU EMS Component Director Wayne Chacun – is part of the Province’s strategy to improve emergency medical response in rural Manitoba.
“Emergency medical services personnel devote their lives to provide lifesaving care to those in need,” said Minister Selby. “We continue to invest in training opportunities and new positions to ensure quality care is available when and where it is needed most.”
The Province pledges these part-time EMS positions will become full-time positions by spring of 2015 and they will work with the regional health authorities to determine what changes are necessary and where the full-time positions are most needed to improve response times and provide improved service to communities.
Also part of today’s announcement was a new advanced-care paramedic program that will be launched at Red River College in September 2015. The two-year program will have an annual intake of 16 students.
Chacun says these changes are welcome news for medics in rural Manitoba who want to increase their level of training and bring advanced skills to their home communities.
“There are
currently only a handful of advanced-care paramedics in rural Manitoba. Today’s
announcement will no doubt increase that number, resulting in higher levels of
care for people living in smaller communities outside our major cities. It
will also help encourage rural retention by targeting paramedics that are
already working in rural settings where they have put down roots,” says Chacun.