Latest news with #Asagwara
Global News
09-07-2025
- Health
- Global News
Winnipeg man pays for back surgery in Mexico to avoid long wait times at home
In December, 60-year-old Dean Simpson injured his back after slipping and falling on some ice. The nerve running down to his left leg was pinched between two discs, causing him pain he described as feeling like a drill bit going through his bones. He was in so much agony that he barely left the house. A month and a half following his injury, Simpson knew the wait to receive medical care could be much longer. 'I got a letter from St. Boniface Hospital MRI, and the letter said 'We will contact you again in three months, to let you know how much longer you're going to be waiting for an MRI,'' Simpson recalls. Simpson was then told by a health-care worker that it could be an additional six- to twelve-month wait for surgery to fix the problem. The pain was getting worse, and he decided he couldn't bear it for that long. Story continues below advertisement In June, Simpson and his wife flew to a private clinic in Mexico. There, he had an MRI scan and was scheduled for surgery within days. But the price tag — paid out of his own pocket — was more than $30,000. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I don't think we'll ever pay it off,' says Simpson. 'That's going to just sit on the line of credit and we'll have to make interest payments on it until we sell the house, basically.' He's elated that the pain is now gone, but he has lost much of the use of his left foot. With great effort, he can lift it slightly off the ground, but cannot move it laterally, and has very little sensation. With time and intense physiotherapy, Simpson may regain some movement, but he believes he would have full use of his foot if he'd been diagnosed and treated sooner. He also worries he may have lost the use of his foot entirely if he had waited longer. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says Manitobans shouldn't have to take such drastic measures to get care. 'We're training more MRI technicians and we're doing the work of making sure the program and training they need is direct entry, so a faster path to that career choice,' says Asagwara. 'But we know there's more work to be done here. This is not something that gets solved overnight.' Story continues below advertisement The Manitoba NDP have made multiple promises to cut down diagnostic and surgical wait times. Asagwara says they have increased the overall number of MRIs being offered in the province, and last month launched a mobile MRI unit in the Northern Health region to take pressure off Winnipeg Hospitals. In a statement, Shared Health says their diagnostic department has been 'implementing initiatives aimed at reducing MRI wait times for lower back pain and knees.' The health authority added they are upgrading software on MRIs across the province and adding more evening and weekend staffing capacity. In Winnipeg hospitals, median wait times range from 17 weeks at the Health Sciences Centre to 46 weeks at St. Boniface Hospital, according to data from the province's website. Simpson says it's unreasonable for anyone to have to wait that long. 'You know that a cure is there, that you can feel better. But you're just being told, six months to a year, six months to a year, six months to a year.'
Winnipeg Free Press
20-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Premier offers apology to sword attack survivor
BRANDON — Premier Wab Kinew offered his personal apology Thursday to the 15-year-old victim of last week's sword attack and his family 'on behalf of the Indigenous people.' Kinew, accompanied by Deputy Premier Uzoma Asagwara, visited the family of Chinonso Onuke at their home in Brandon on Thursday morning. He was assaulted by a fellow student at Neelin High School June 10. 'As a leader in the community, I apologize on behalf of the Indigenous people for the attack,' Kinew told them during the nearly 90-minute visit. 'I have to do that because I have to take responsibility.' Matt Goerzen / Brandon Sun Premier Wab Kinew presents École Secondaire Neelin High School Grade 10 student Chinonso Onuke, right, a Premier's Challenge Coin, as his twin brother Chiemeka Onuke watches Thursday. The premier said he felt the need to make the apology because he was moved by the trauma experienced by Chinoso and his family. 'I was very moved by what this young man has been through,' he said. 'As premier, and with (Asagwara), I wanted to come and offer encouragement and support. During our conversation, the family shared some of their experiences with anti-Black racism and I felt it was important to offer my perspective.' Kinew said it's no coincidence that his deputy premier is a Nigerian Canadian. 'We want to send a clear message that this province is for everyone,' he said. 'While the matter is now before the courts and I can't speak to all the specific allegations, I want Nonso, his family and everyone in Manitoba to know that we are moving forward together and that we take a stand against racism whenever we encounter it.' A 16-year-old boy, also a Neelin student, has been charged with attempted murder and other offences. A judge ordered a mental health assessment of the youth at a court appearance this week. Members of the Nigerian community in Brandon visited the Onuke family on Sunday, raising a number of concerns about safety. On Thursday, the deputy premier addressed those issues. 'As a born and raised Nigerian Canadian Manitoban, we have a very strong Nigerian community, a growing Nigerian community here in Manitoba,' Asagwara said. 'Whenever a serious incident or tragedy like this takes place, it's so important that we bring communities together to reassure one another that our province is still welcoming, still loving… Nigerians are valued here.' Asagwara praised the family's resilience. 'The strength and the compassion of the family is remarkable. This is a very smart, very spirited, beautiful young man who is surrounded by love and has a strong community of support around him.' The family was generous to invite the premier and deputy premier into their home to hear about the experience and give their perspective on safety issues, the minister said. Kinew used the visit to emphasize the need for a review of school safety, referencing school resource officers. The Brandon police response to the assault was triggered after an SRO was contacted by a student at the school. 'My thoughts are for this school resource officer, whom I've reached out to but haven't had a chance to connect with directly,' Kinew said, adding he was 'very moved by their professionalism and their swift response, which helped to make sure that a terrible situation did not become worse.' He said the province is open to discussions on broader safety measures. Asked if the government sees a need to implement changes, Kinew said, 'I think it's going to be an ongoing conversation … For me, the overarching principle is 'Every Child Matters,' which means that we need to ensure that every child feels safe.' Helen Onuke, who is Chinonso's mother, agreed that broader collaboration is needed. 'We talked about all stakeholders coming together to discuss,' she told the Brandon Sun. 'Some teachers might have an idea, students have ideas, parents and the city too… just coming together and putting heads together to see how we can make the community safe for everybody.' She described the politicians' visit as 'wonderful' and 'humbling.' 'It's helpful for healing, because it has shown Nonso that the premier is concerned about what's happening, not just with him, but with the entire community,' Onuke said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Nonso's father, Onyebushi Onuke, noted the outreach from Indigenous individuals in the aftermath of the attack. 'The Indigenous community has been reaching out to me, sending me emails,' he said. 'They are letting me know that this is not part of them… They're promising to come back, to see what they can do to help in this situation.' Kinew gave the family a message of encouragement as the visit drew to a close. 'Hopefully, sharing those words can bring you somewhere,' he told Nonso. 'You have a lot of support… Your example of leadership in the moment, now I know why — it's because you come from a wonderful family.' — Brandon Sun
Winnipeg Free Press
18-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province, nurses must take charge after study finds racism exists in Winnipeg ERs
Opinion If you want to know why we never seem to make progress in battling systemic racism, events this week provide some compelling answers. On Tuesday, a landmark study by Shared Health showed adult African/Black and Indigenous patients wait longer for treatment in Winnipeg emergency rooms than patients of other races and ethnicities. Black patients waited the longest on average at Shared Health-run Health Sciences Centre (5.5 hours) and Indigenous patients waited the second longest (5.3 hours). White patients, as a point of comparison, on average waited 4.1 hours, a full hour less. RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Dr. Marcia Anderson led the race-based ER data project on behalf of Shared Health. As well, 36.5 per cent of adult Indigenous patients, and 30.4 per cent of African/Black patients left the HSC ER without having been examined or treated. About 20 per cent of white patients left before being seen. The report was prepared by Shared Health in collaboration with the University of Manitoba's Ongomiizwin Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, and the George & Fay Yee Centre for Healthcare Innovation. It was based on analysis of more than 600,000 patients who agreed to self-identify their race and ethnicity. The findings are not necessarily seismic in their essence; research into the racial bias in the health-care system has been going on for decades. This is, however, one of the most precise studies of its kind. Report author Dr. Marcia Anderson correctly noted the report contains 'hard truths.' Although not mentioned in the report, among those hard truths is the undeniable fact that the health-care system is horrible at responding to the issue of systemic racism. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara greeted the report with a recommendation that all emergency department staff undergo cultural safety and anti-racism training. However, the minister declined to say which training, when it would start and did not indicate whether the affected personnel would be allowed to undertake it during normal working hours. That drew immediate criticism from the Manitoba Nurses Union. MNU president Darlene Jackson said the collective agreement clearly says that nurses must be given time off from normal duties to undergo any required educational programming. Jackson warned that because Asagwara's comments were only a recommendation, there is an implication the nurses should do the training on their own time. She said she was concerned about consequences for those who don't. If we take a hard look at what both Asagwara and Jackson are saying, a rather unflattering picture comes into focus. If the minister takes no issue with the findings, and agrees that the issue is fundamentally important, then why wasn't more done to formulate an actual plan to address gaps in anti-racism training? And why wouldn't Asagwara make this kind of training mandatory, even if the fine details of delivering it have yet to be worked out? It should be said that 'how' and 'when' and 'paid for by whom' are all good questions. However, Jackson and the MNU need to ensure their concerns do not obscure their commitment to combating systemic racism. Right now, the union has created the impression it is only interested in building a list of reasons why they shouldn't get involved. If, for example, the collective agreement guarantees that nurses would be paid to undertake any compulsory training, Overall, it's a bad look for a health-care system that had the courage to, at the very least, dig into patient data to uncover the hard truths. But the mad dash for details, and lack of any sense of collaboration between the province, the health authorities and groups like the MNU, makes everyone look rather incompetent. There is also a renewed concern about whether this is just another provincial directive unleashed upon nurses without adequate negotiation. The former Progressive Conservative government rattled the very foundations of Winnipeg's hospital system by force-feeding nurses a major restructuring of emergency rooms and specialty surgical programs. Apparently unaware, or unconcerned, that nurses had fought long and hard to have some control over where and when they worked, the PC government changed the entire structure of Winnipeg's hospital network. Nurses that had worked in departments and programs in hospitals for years were suddenly told they were relocating. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. Nurses at suburban hospitals were suddenly faced with the prospect of moving to one of the larger, core-area hospitals. Carefully structured family lives were thrown into chaos. Not surprising, then, that the nurses refused to get with the Tory program. Older nurses retired early; younger nurses fled the public system for private nursing agencies where they were paid better and had total control over where and when they worked. The same agencies that provide staff back to an understaffed public system at a premium rate. Premier Wab Kinew and his health minister have repeatedly promised they would manage health care differently. Although more details need to come out, the haphazard response to the issue of systemic racism and the conflict with the MNU suggest the New Democrats may be repeating tragic history. The province and its unions have acknowledged that this is a real and important issue. What Manitobans need now is someone to take charge and show real progress, not just acknowledgement. Dan LettColumnist Dan Lett is a columnist for the Free Press, providing opinion and commentary on politics in Winnipeg and beyond. Born and raised in Toronto, Dan joined the Free Press in 1986. Read more about Dan. Dan's columns are built on facts and reactions, but offer his personal views through arguments and analysis. The Free Press' editing team reviews Dan's columns before they are posted online or published in print — part of the our tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Northern MRI unit to benefit all patients, minister promises
The mobile MRI unit for the north, which recently launched in Thompson, will improve access to diagnostic imaging for patients both in the north and down south, the health minister said. 'It's the first time the north has ever had MRI diagnostic capacity, and the MRI being mobile means that more communities are going to be served, which is fantastic,' Uzoma Asagwara said Friday. The northern magnetic resonance imaging machine, which is parked at Thompson hospital, will be able to travel back and forth to The Pas by late fall. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Uzoma Asagwara said the northern MRI will help patients waiting in the south. 'This is really life-changing for (northern) folks,' Asagwara said. 'Previously, they would have been sent a flight away from home, a day's worth of travel away from home. It'll be able to serve patients on a wide spectrum of needs.' The mobile MRI has completed 63 exams since June 6. It's on track to do 46 per day, from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Shared Health said. It has the equivalent of two full-time technicians and 1.4 full-time equivalent nursing assistants. It is short two full-time MRI techs, a 0.5 nursing position and one clerical position. Filling them isn't expected to be a challenge, a Shared Health spokesman said. 'All vacant positions are posted and recruitment is underway. An international MRI technician has been selected and is working through the hiring process' to fill one of the vacant positions, he said. All Northern Health requisitions for an MRI are sent to the mobile MRI, aside from those for fly-in communities. When asked how patients are prioritized, he said all requisitions go through Northern Health to the mobile MRI unit, and it serves all patients including inpatients and emergency patients. He said 28 patients are booked for an MRI scan, and 662 patients are waiting to be booked. The oldest requisition is from Jan. 16, 2025. The union that represents MRI technologists worries about a lack of MRI technologists in Manitoba and across Canada, and 'robbing Peter to pay Paul' to staff them while wait times grow in Winnipeg. 'Northern Manitobans absolutely deserve access close to home for MRI testing,' said Jason Linklater, president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals. 'While they are launching this new MRI, wait times at other sites are around 26 weeks provincewide — 47 weeks at St. Boniface, 44 weeks at the Grace, and the benchmark for elective MRI is 8.5 weeks,' he said Friday. 'We're way outside of that and totally unacceptable for wait times and primarily due to a lack of MRI technologists,' Linklater said. 'I am concerned about the drop in staffing on other sites and that it's going to increase wait times by robbing Peter to pay Paul.' Asagwara said the northern MRI will help patients waiting in the south. 'This is going to take a tremendous amount of pressure off of those wait times in Winnipeg by allowing folks to get MRIs in their own communities closer to home in the north,' the minister said. Fewer flights and lengthy road trips down south, mean fewer missed appointments and greater capacity, Asagwara said. Advocates for an MRI machine in the hospital that's being built in Portage la Prairie aren't giving up. 'We're still actively gaining signatures on petitions,' said Jeff Bereza, the Tory MLA for Portage. The Portage Hospital Foundation has offered $5 million toward the cost of locating an MRI unit at the new hospital. 'The community wants to see it. I think a lot of other Manitobans want to see it,' said Bereza who provided the example of a man in west Winnipeg who called him to say he had to drive 600 kilometres to Dauphin and back for an MRI, and would have saved time and money if he could have had the scan 85 kilometres away in Portage. The government has maintained that the north was a priority for the next MRI. Linklater said the shortage of technologists has been a challenge for years. 'We know that Shared Health has struggled for a long time to recruit for MRI technologists,' he said. 'There hasn't been a credible plan put out to fix that yet.' Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Asagwara said their government is working on a plan after the former Tory government 'ignored' the issue for nearly eight years. 'We're looking at modernizing the pathway to this training… making the programs more accessible, and introducing them to learners much earlier.' Manitobans are taking the training through distance education, Asagwara pointed out, adding it should be offered here. 'We're working with our really wonderful partners at post-secondary to improve the access to these programs and to create pathways that are easier for Manitobans to navigate.' Carol SandersLegislature reporter Carol Sanders is a reporter at the Free Press legislature bureau. The former general assignment reporter and copy editor joined the paper in 1997. Read more about Carol. Every piece of reporting Carol produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-06-2025
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nursing college reveals changes to speed up licensing for internationally trained applicants
The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba is pledging to make it simpler and faster for internationally trained professionals to start practising here. The licensing body has created a position dedicated to helping those applicants and begun allowing them to start the registration process while awaiting documentation from overseas entities, among other changes. 'We acknowledge that our processes have been slow to evolve and not always been as efficient or flexible as they could be,' registrar Deb Elias said in a news release unveiling the college's modernization plan Wednesday. 'We've heard from applicants and partners that navigating the system — especially in a province with multiple nursing professions — can be confusing, duplicative and time-consuming.' The changes, including broadening expedited registration pathways, expanding the use of conditional registrations and establishing a committee to manage complex applications, are effective immediately. Martin Lussier, public engagement manager for the college, said they will make it more straightforward and flexible for internationally educated nurses (IENs) to enter the workforce with confidence. Lussier said the overall goal is to make the local IEN application process 'much more attractive' so nurses do not seek licensing in another province to fast-track approval in Manitoba. 'For a number of people, that (route) has left them in a position where they were not prepared appropriately for registered nursing practice,' he said. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara welcomed the 'overdue steps' to make Manitoba a more attractive place for nurses to work. 'I know it is possible to maintain the highest standards of care and give nurses a clear and straightforward application process,' Asagwara said in a statement. The college's announcement was made against the backdrop of a public dispute between Elias and the Manitoba government; the registrar accused the government of prioritizing interprovincial labour mobility over patient safety earlier this month. Elias cited Asagwara's April 30 demand to remove barriers to licensing out-of-province nurses. Her office was ordered to align itself with internal trade laws and stop requiring these individuals to have 450 hours of nursing experience in Canada in the past two years or 1,225 hours over the past five years to be registered locally. The college defended its now-defunct rules as a response to a wave of complaints about competency — such as the inability to take or interpret vital signs — made about professionals approved via its 'labour mobility applicant' stream. 'Over the last few days I've heard from some nurses who have had their confidence shaken, and so I want nurses to know: you are welcome in Manitoba,' Asagwara said Wednesday. Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, applauded the college's new measures, as well as its recognition that the system has been 'unnecessarily rigid' in the past. 'The creation of a dedicated navigation role, increased flexibility in documentation and assessment processes and efforts to reduce delays are tangible steps forward,' said the union leader who represents 13,000 nurses, many of whom are IENs. Jackson said the union has long advocated for 'a more compassionate, efficient and equitable registration process' that recognizes IENs' diverse experiences and upholds public safety. 'IENs are not the problem — systems that under-prepare and undervalue them are. We want IENs to thrive in Manitoba. We want them respected, supported and safe,' she said. 'That means regulation must go hand in hand with wraparound supports in practice settings.' The regulatory body's news release touted the changes as a way to reduce duplication, improve clarity and help IEN applicants transition into the workplace faster. Maggie MacintoshEducation reporter Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she first reported for the Free Press in 2017. Read more about Maggie. Funding for the Free Press education reporter comes from the Government of Canada through the Local Journalism Initiative. Every piece of reporting Maggie produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
