May 26, 2020
Statement from Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen on Paramedic Services Week
May 24 to 30 marks Paramedic Services Week 2020 in Manitoba. This year’s theme, Pandemic: Paramedics on the Front Line, highlights the crucial roles these highly skilled front-line health-care providers play in an integrated health system.
On land and in the air, paramedics provide fast and often life-saving care to patients and clients at home, in the community and during transport to health-care facilities, ensuring people get the care they need, when and where they need it.
Working to their full scope of practice, paramedics are a critical part of our health-care system, providing patient care from the moment a call for help is made and offering specialized treatments well before arrival at a hospital or emergency department.
Since 2016, Manitoba has increased EMS funding by $12.1 million to allow for the creation of about 150 new full-time equivalent paramedic positions.
In 2019, the government invested $10 million to purchase 65 replacement ambulances that modernize the province’s fleet, ensure paramedic safety and improve patient comfort.
In addition, the province continues to move towards self-regulation for the profession of paramedicine. Public consultations are currently being held on the practice of paramedicine regulation.
The valued contributions our paramedics make every day is appreciated, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they are often the first point of contact for Manitobans in need.
I want to thank Manitoba’s paramedics for being true health-care heroes as they put their own health and safety on the line to care for others across the province. Your dedication, commitment and hard work are very valued – by myself and by all Manitobans.
For more information on the public consultations on the practice of paramedicine regulation, visit: https://reg.gov.mb.ca/home.
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