Earlier this year the province committed to hire an additional 35 primary care paramedics in 2019. Yesterday, the government repeated that promise at a media event held to promote lower ambulance fees (now $250 per trip).
MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky welcomed the lowered fees, which will help to ensure more Manitobans can afford to call an ambulance in an emergency, but said more paramedics are needed to provide the service, particularly in rural Manitoba.
"There’s no question that the lower fee is good news for all Manitobans, particularly for seniors and those on a fixed income. But if an ambulance isn’t available because we don’t have enough paramedics, the price of the fee doesn’t really matter," Gawronsky said.
The Manitoba EMS System Review completed in 2013 concluded that an additional 430 equivalent full-time (EFT) primary care paramedics were needed in rural Manitoba to bring the total number to 888 EFT positions in the province.
The government says they
have committed to hire 95 full-time rural paramedics since taking office in
2016.