March 30, 2021
Manitoba Government Provides $205.3 Million to Regional Health Authorities for Reimbursement of COVID-19-Related Expenses
– – –Funding Helps Operators, Front-Line Workers Maintain the Same Level of Care to Protect Manitobans Regardless of Expenses Incurred by COVID-19: Stefanson
The Manitoba government is providing $205.3 million to regional health authorities for personal care homes (PCHs) and community health agencies (CHAs), service delivery organizations (SDOs) and specialized equipment purchases to offset funds spent to deal with COVID-19, Health and Seniors Care Minister Heather Stefanson announced today.
“This past year, our front-line staff, including those working at personal care homes and service delivery organizations, have provided incredible care for their patients and clients in the face of COVID-19,” said Stefanson. “Our government is committed to continuing to offset incremental costs incurred as a result of the pandemic to ensure service providers can continue to protect Manitobans.”
In 2020, the Manitoba government issued a notice to regional health authorities to assess incremental expenditures related to COVID-19 by PCH operators, CHAs and SDOs. Each health authority worked with these groups to receive and submit costs.
Eligible costs include:
• service delivery organizations: operating screening and testing sites, the Provincial Health Contact Centre, and alternate isolation and accommodations;
• personal care homes: increasing cleaning and janitorial services, operating the one-site staffing model and further staff costs related to additional sick time, and the need for social distancing within a shared facility; and
• specialized equipment: purchasing specialized acute care equipment for treating COVID-19 patients in-hospital including ventilators, IV pumps, patient monitors and disinfection equipment.
The province provided one-time funding for the first two quarters of 2020-21 to personal care homes in December 2020 for $7.7 million, the minister noted.
A total of $169 million will be provided to health authorities for service delivery organizations, $29.6 million for personal care homes and community health agencies, and $6.7 million for specialized equipment to reimburse for costs incurred in the 2020-21 fiscal year.
“Our government will continue to assess ongoing costs as we fight this pandemic and will help where needed to ensure Manitobans continue to receive quality care,” said Stefanson.
The province has also supported personal care homes by:
• procuring personal protective equipment and creating a distribution protocol for the health-care system;
• limiting the movement of staff to ensure they are assigned only to a single site to mitigate the spread of the virus; and
• developing all-season shelters that allow residents to safely visit with loved ones, the majority of which have now been delivered.
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.
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