Dozens of autism advocates rallied outside the Manitoba Legislature on Saturday to hold the government to its reversal on Bill 232, the autism screening and supports bill, ahead of Tuesday's vote. The government had proposed amendments excluding adults after a 14-hour committee hearing, but Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine rolled them back Friday after public outcry, and now says it will support the bill in its original all-ages form. Rally speakers, including Liberal MLA Cindy Lamoureux, who introduced the bill, said supports must continue across the lifespan, not just in childhood.
If Bill 232 passes in its original form on Tuesday, autistic adults in Manitoba keep access to screening, diagnosis and supports across their lifespan instead of losing them at 18 — a direct follow-up to the government's policy reversal.
Manitoba is dropping amendments that would have limited its new autism strategy to children, so the bill will pass in its original all-ages form, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine announced. The reversal followed public outcry, 70+ emails to her office and a 14-hour committee hearing, from adults and families who said supports like help staying employed and living independently should not end at 18. Fontaine also announced $5 million to expand children's autism services at St. Amant, $1.75 million for overnight respite care, and said community pediatricians can now submit autism diagnoses.
Autistic adults in Manitoba keep access to the strategy's supports, employment and independent-living help won't cut off at 18, and the St. Amant funding expands children's services and respite care.
The provincial Retention and Recruitment Office has successfully recruited 18 new physicians to the Prairie Mountain Health region. This effort is intended to improve medical staffing levels in the area.
Eighteen new physicians are joining the Prairie Mountain Health region to help address current staffing levels.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority is hosting community clinics for flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. Residents can book appointments online or by phone, and walk-ins are welcome. Immunizations are also available through primary care providers, ACCESS Centres, and local pharmacies.
You can direct your patients to book their flu and COVID-19 shots online, by phone, or at local pharmacies and ACCESS Centres.
Grifols has begun a phased resumption of plasma collection at its 17 Canadian centres, starting with Winnipeg (Innovation Drive) and Edmonton, with fewer daily donor appointments that will grow over time. Collection was paused on Aug. 14 after Health Canada issued a non-compliance rating at its Winnipeg Taylor Avenue clinic, whose licence remains suspended. The pause followed CBC reporting that two people died after donating plasma at Winnipeg Grifols clinics in 2025 and 2026.
Winnipeg donors can book again, but the Taylor Avenue site stays closed until Health Canada is satisfied the company has fixed its compliance problems.
Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives, under new leader Konrad Narth, are promising to expand pharmacists' scope of practice if elected, speaking from a pharmacy in Morden. Shadow Minister for Health Kathleen Cook said Manitoba pharmacists have the most restricted scope of practice in Canada and the lowest number of authorized pharmacy services, citing a Pharmacists Manitoba survey finding 62 per cent of University of Manitoba College of Pharmacy students are considering relocating to another province to make better use of their training. Cook introduced Bill 240, the Pharmaceutical Amendment A
If passed, pharmacists could treat common conditions close to home, which matters for rural patients who travel far for doctor appointments and for pharmacy staff.
The federal government will spend $6 million to recruit up to 90 international physicians in rural Manitoba over three years, fast-tracking licensing through an expanded Practice Ready Assessment program, focusing on ER-trained doctors for rural areas. Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the province has recruited over 370 new doctors since 2023 and has 3,700 doctors practising in Manitoba, the highest ever. Doctors Manitoba welcomed the funding but said gaps remain in medical, surgical and diagnostic specialists and that Manitoba has historically been a revolving door for physicians.
Up to 90 internationally trained doctors are headed for rural Manitoba ERs, directly relevant to rural staffing and to internationally educated professionals watching the licensing path.
The pharmacy team at Boundary Trails Health Centre is moving into a new, expanded space starting in October 2026. This two-phase transition includes a new chemotherapy compounding area designed to meet national regulatory standards, supporting increased service capacity for the Morden and Winkler region.
Pharmacy staff at Boundary Trails Health Centre will move into a new, expanded space with a chemotherapy compounding area starting in October 2026.
Shared Health has launched mobile crisis services for adults in Winnipeg facing mental health emergencies. This initiative provides support directly to individuals in their own environment, reducing the need for them to travel to hospitals or clinical settings for care.
Expect fewer mental health patients arriving at hospitals as mobile teams now provide care directly in the community.
Dr. Jay Toor, an orthopedic surgeon at Concordia Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, is leading a Research Manitoba-funded initiative to use AI and large language models, a system called ORION, to cut surgical wait times at Winnipeg's Health Sciences Centre. Over 1,300 Manitobans face a median wait of 170 days for orthopedic surgery. In year one the team will test ORION against 10 years of HSC data, then trial it live in year two, predicting 5-8% more surgical capacity, 10-15% shorter waits, and $2-4 million a year in savings.
A Manitoba-made AI tool aims to shorten the 170-day median wait for orthopedic surgery, a number frontline staff see in their clinics every day.
The Northern Health Region has launched Indigenous Birth Helper Services at Thompson General Hospital. Part of the Ikiskawasoot initiative, these helpers provide cultural, spiritual, and physical support to families throughout the birthing process. The program aims to ensure families feel connected to their traditions and community while receiving care.
You can now connect families at Thompson General Hospital with Indigenous Birth Helpers for cultural and spiritual support during their birthing process.
Following flood damage on July 1, 2026, the Dauphin Regional Health Centre remains under restoration. Emergency and inpatient services were relocated to Ste. Rose and Grandview, with temporary lab and treatment clinics established. Provincial authorities and health organizations continue efforts to restore full clinical operations at the facility.
Emergency and inpatient services are currently relocated to Ste. Rose and Grandview while restoration work continues at the Dauphin facility.
The Manitoba government is expanding community-based support services. This initiative is designed to improve patient flow and help individuals transition into the most appropriate care settings.
