The Parkland region and the patients and physicians within it have seen unprecedented levels of flooding. This has resulted in considerable damage to personal property, highways and bridges and a devastating loss of the functionality of the Dauphin Regional Health Centre. 

With some estimates suggesting the Health Centre may not be fully functional for up to a year, Doctors Manitoba has submitted a formal report detailing physician recommendations for charting a path forward through recovery. 

The latest: Wednesday’s Prairie Mountain Health weekly staff update notes: 

• Crews are pressure-washing flood-affected areas and removing contents from the basement. Timelines for recovery are expected to become more clear in the coming weeks. 

• Planning is underway to open a temporary outpatient clinic within the Dauphin community that will include phlebotomy, X‑ray and EKG services. 

• Efforts are underway to secure an appropriate location to provide Hemodialysis and Chemotherapy treatments in Dauphin. 

Why it matters: The report, Restoring Health Care in Dauphin: Planning for Months of Disruption, is grounded in the feedback we have received from dozens of physicians across the region who are unwaveringly focused on one goal: ensuring patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care as close to home as possible.

The report draws on lessons from comparable recoveries elsewhere in Canada and internationally and reinforces several key priorities doctors have raised consistently: 

• Restore as many services as safely possible within Dauphin using temporary or innovative solutions. 

• Regionalize only those services in nearby communities that cannot safely be provided locally. 

• Engage local physicians as partners in planning and decision-making. 

• Communicate openly and regularly as plans evolve. 

• Protect and retain the regional physician workforce and maintain meaningful clinical work throughout the recovery. 

Physician feedback recognized: We have gathered perspectives and concerns from physicians in Dauphin and surrounding communities and we have shared this information with senior leaders across government and the health system, including the Premier, the Minister of Health, and leaders with Prairie Mountain Health and Shared Health. 

We have been encouraged by the comments from the Premier and the Minister that this recovery must move beyond emergency response toward a coordinated plan that restores services as close to home as possible and in collaboration with physicians while also accelerating the restoration and reopening of the hospital. 

Resources: Official channels are the best way to stay up to date during this rapidly evolving situation. 

• Prairie Mountain Health: The region is publishing key updates for staff every Wednesday. If you are a physician in Prairie Mountain Health Region, please bookmark this page. You can also find updates on their Instagram @prairiemthealth.

• Doc360: Our resources can be accessed by physicians, medical learners, and their families impacted by fire and evacuations or by patient trauma. Visit Doc360​.ca for more information. 

• Our Doctors Manitoba Extreme Weather page has a list of official resources to help you keep track of what matters to you. 

Thank you, as well, to the many physicians around the province who have traveled to the affected regions to lend your support to your colleagues and their patients. Your contributions are deeply valued and appreciated. 

Here for you: Doctors Manitoba will continue pressing for a recovery that is collaborative, transparent and grounded in the expertise of physicians who know this community and region best. Please continue to share your feedback and experiences with us at practiceadvice@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca.