The Manitoba government has exceeded its commitment to expand the health-care workforce, adding 1,255 net-new workers as of December 2024, Premier Wab Kinew announced Monday at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.
The new hires include 138 physicians, 481 nurses, 386 health-care aides and 176 allied health workers. The increase in staffing has contributed to improvements in the system, Kinew said, noting that the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) reduced mandatory overtime for nurses by 45 per cent between October 2023 and October 2024.
“We made an ambitious promise to Manitobans to hire 1,000 net-new people into the health system, and today we’re proud to say we’ve exceeded that goal,” Kinew said. “While the work is underway toward fixing health care, these steps that we’re taking are showing results. We’re keeping our word to you, but there’s still a lot more work to be done.”
Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the hiring push is part of a broader effort to stabilize the system and improve patient care.
“Every new health-care worker means better health care for you and your family,” Asagwara said. “I want to thank every single person who has taken up a role in our health-care system, all of this progress is because of you. It’s going to take time but we are on the road to recovery.”
The government has also expanded the travel nurse team through a partnership with the Manitoba Nurses Union, aiming to provide more flexibility for nurses in the public system. In addition, it has focused on addressing safety concerns raised by front-line workers by funding 126 institutional safety officer (ISO) positions, 96 of which are currently in place at facilities across the province.
The province also announced a partnership with Long Plain First Nation to deploy First Nation safety officers at Portage District General Hospital, similar to the ISO model used at other health-care facilities.
Belinda Wong, a health-care aide at Health Sciences Centre, said the increased focus on recruitment and retention is being felt on the ground.
“It’s a relief that our government wants to hire and keep health-care workers, making our emergency rooms work for the staff as well as the patients,” Wong said. “There’s still a lot more work to do, but as a front-line worker, I’m grateful to have the acknowledgement that our work is not unseen and not without appreciation.”
