Today, the Province of Manitoba announced improvements to Emergency Medical Services (EMS) that are designed to make the system more unified and responsive.
Health Minister Theresa Oswald made the announcement after receiving the . The report contains 54 recommendations and was prepared by Reg Toews, a recognized leader in the province’s health-care system. Toews had travelled throughout the province to consult with firefighters, paramedics, municipal leaders, First Nations and Metis communities, and numerous EMS experts, educators and stakeholders.
The report analyzed issues, options and opportunities and sets out a 10-year plan to improve dispatch, medical accountability, performance indicators, community engagement, education and governance.
To make sure work in these areas gets underway immediately, the Province has committed to move forward with a number of key recommendations immediately. These include the establishment of a new provincial Office of the Medical Director to provide medical leadership in the EMS system as well as oversight on training, medical care and quality improvement.
Also announced was the creation of an implementation task force to consult with rural municipalities, First Nations and Metis communities, regional health authorities and other EMS stakeholders on how to implement the recommendations most effectively.
There will also be the development of new legislation to enable paramedics to provide even better care for patients and families across Manitoba.
“MGEU paramedics were proactive in bringing forward their ideas for building a better system in Manitoba that improves patient care and is responsive to paramedics’ needs,” said MGEU President Michelle Gawronsky. “This review addresses many of the concerns that were raised by paramedics across Manitoba and recognizes the evolving role of paramedicine. We look forward to working with the task force as they implement the recommendations brought forward today.”
There are currently 92 rural and northern EMS stations and 18 in Winnipeg. In 2011, they responded to approximately 156,000 calls and call volumes continue to increase annually. The MGEU represents more than a thousand paramedics in the province.