Doctors Manitoba is issuing a public advisory about the instability of ER operations across rural and northern Manitoba, calling on Manitobans to learn more and plan ahead by visiting Rural​Care​.ca.

“As Manitobans travel across the province and gather with family this holiday season, we need them to know that only a quarter of hospitals in rural and northern Manitoba will have their ERs reliably open 24/7 this month,” said Dr. Nichelle Desilets, President-Elect of Doctors Manitoba. ​“We encourage Manitobans to visit Rural​Care​.ca to help plan ahead, access local ER schedules, and know what to do in a medical emergency.”

A review of December ER schedules found:

• 18 hospital ERs are scheduled to be open 24/7
• 24 ERs have limited hours or frequent closures
• 28 health centre ERs are fully closed

“What’s really concerning is the number of ERs that are open 24/7 is getting worse, not better,” explained Dr. Desilets, noting two more ERs appeared to be reliably open in December last year. 

Dr. Desilets pointed to recent feedback from rural physicians that found widespread concerns about the stability of services, including in larger rural communities that are struggling to maintain vital medical care. This includes some of the largest health facilities like the Brandon and Boundary Trails hospitals, where critical 24/7 services like the ER and obstetrics frequently have unfilled shifts and rely on locums from other regions to fill gaps. 

“Practicing medicine in rural Manitoba is a rewarding experience,” said Dr. Desilets, a physician in Neepawa.​“There are hundreds of physicians dedicated to offering high quality care because we are deeply committed to the rural and Northern communities we work and live in, but severe staffing shortages are making it difficult to maintain services in many hospitals right now.”

The Rural​Care​.ca resource was created as a one-stop resource with advice from a team of rural and Northern physicians. Manitobans will find the following at Rural​Care​.ca:

• Advice from physicians about how to plan ahead given the number of ERs with expected closures or reduced hours. 
• Guidance about what to do during a medical emergency.
• Links to local ER schedules for each health region.