Restoring Our Health Care System
The Green Party of Manitoba believes that a health care system must do more than respond to illness. Health care must also promote wellness at every stage of life.
To this end, the Green Party of Manitoba takes seriously the broad range of personal, social, economic and environmental factors that contribute to the overall health of Manitobans. Since poverty is a primary factor leading to poor health, poverty reduction will be our most significant initiative in preventative health care. This will reduce the burden on the health care system, which in turn will contribute to its fiscal sustainability.
In addition to prevention measures, our long-term health care vision is to provide a strong community-based network that focuses on well-being and preventative support. Primary physical and mental health care will be delivered at a local level, within a collaborative model.
The Green Party of Manitoba opposes any move to privatize health care. Properly funding public health care will always require a significant allocation of the provincial budget, but it is a price we pay for a fair and equitable society in which everyone has access to health care services regardless of socio-economic circumstances. That being said, we are continually searching for the most efficient and cost effective ways to provide the health care services that are needed.
To restore the health care system in Manitoba, the Green Party of Manitoba will:
Respect and support frontline health care workers
- Repeal The Public Services Sustainability Act, which will reverse the freeze on public-sector wages and honor the right to engage in collective bargaining
- Consult and collaborate with front-line health workers before making any major changes to the health care system, and during the implementation process
- Increase the number of health care practitioners working in the public system
- Eliminate mandatory overtime for health professionals
- Expand the opportunities for cross-training between health professionals, and implement appropriate expansions in scope of practice
Increase the focus on preventative, community-based health care
- Increase the existing provincial sales tax rate on “junk food,” and use the proceeds of this tax to increase funding for health promotion initiatives
- Allocate 2% of total health care spending to support best-practice preventative programs
- Work toward a local, cooperative health care model in which communities have a say over their own health facilities and can cooperate to deliver health care in the best interest of the local community
Expand health care coverage in Manitoba
- Provide universal basic dental care and vision care to all children 12 years of age and under
- Negotiate universal Pharmacare with the federal government to access volume buying and significantly reduce the cost of prescription drugs
- Provide funding for conception planning under Medicare and Pharmacare
- Ensure access to abortion services across the province, including non-surgical abortion options
Improve medical and emergency medical services across Manitoba
- Ensure that there are no further emergency room closures
- Relieve pressure on existing emergency rooms by increasing the number of health practitioners and after hours non-urgent care
- Ensure rural and Northern communities have adequate emergency transport services.
- Provide better support and coordination to municipalities for health professional recruitment and develop a provincial health human resource plan
- Increase the utilization of internet technology to address the needs of rural and Northern patients and reduce the burden of long-distance travel
Provide increased services and support options for seniors
- Increase the capacity of housing and support options for seniors so that seniors can be independent and self-sufficient as long as possible and avoid unnecessary, unwanted and costly stays in hospitals and personal care homes
- Support active living programming for seniors to enhance physical, social and mental health
- Increase investments in the areas of injury prevention, health promotion, and chronic disease management
Provide increased services for individuals with disabilities and their families
- Reduce wait times for residential services for families with adult children with intellectual disabilities
- Increase availability of support services for children living with disabilities
- Establish and implement an updated FASD strategy with a focus on enhancing prevention and intervention services for people with FASD
Increase support for mental health services
- Increase funding by committing 10% of health funding to mental health supports and services.
- Promote and facilitate easy access to effective mental health supports and services across Manitoba, including enhancing integration with primary care and other health care providers, increased technological approaches, and additional collaborative approaches
- Increase initiatives to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health
- Expand mental health prevention and promotion initiatives with a focus on healthy childhood development and early intervention
- Ensure that LGBTQ2S+ individuals have access to appropriate and informed mental health services
Increase support services for substance abuse and addictions
- Increase residential addictions treatment beds, which will make it easier for people to get immediate treatment at their points of readiness
- Implement an evidence-based meth response program that puts people’s well-being first, including promoting harm reduction by establishing safe use sites, establishing protective care sites, hiring additional addictions counsellors, and creating additional treatment spots
- Enhance effective, holistic, community-based initiatives to support people experiencing substance abuse and addictions problems, with a focus on mental well-being as well as spiritual and physical well-being
- Increase initiatives to reduce the stigma surrounding substance abuse and addictions
- Expand awareness and prevention services related to substance abuse and addictions