News for Manitoba’s health workforce

Services & workforce2 days agoCanada

Inquiry looking into man's death in Edmonton ER hears about too many patients, not enough beds or doctors

A fatality inquiry heard that Prashant Sreekumar, 44, died on Dec. 22, 2025 after waiting about eight hours in the Grey Nuns emergency department in Edmonton for chest pain. A doctor testified the hospital's five general medicine units have run above capacity since at least 2024, with occupancy around 101 per cent in 2025, and that 20 to 30 per cent of beds hold patients who no longer need hospital care. The inquiry resumes in December.

The testimony puts numbers to ER overcrowding: more patients than beds, and a fifth to a third of beds taken by patients awaiting placement elsewhere.

Public health2 days agoCanada

Canada plunges into early flu season as vaccines begin to roll out

Canada’s flu season began seven weeks earlier than usual, with national positivity rates exceeding the five per cent epidemic threshold by mid-October. While H1N1 is the dominant strain, experts note that current vaccines remain effective at reducing the severity of illness and the risk of hospitalization.

You can now offer patients the current flu vaccine, which remains effective against the dominant H1N1 strain.

ResearchTech & trends5 days agoCanada

Delay From Hypotension Onset to Appropriate Antifungal Therapy Initiation Is the Critical Determinant of Outcome in Candida Septic Shock.

A study involving Manitoba researchers found that the time taken to start appropriate antifungal therapy is the most significant factor for survival in Candida septic shock. Patients treated within two hours of persistent hypotension had an 86% survival rate, with outcomes worsening by 5% for every hour of delay thereafter.

For patients with suspected Candida septic shock, prioritizing the rapid administration of appropriate antifungal therapy within the first two hours of hypotension is critical.

Health policy5 days agoCanada

Canada’s health ministers advance workforce reforms and national health-data sharing

Federal, provincial, and territorial health ministers met in Winnipeg on October 16, 2026, to discuss healthcare system reforms. Key priorities included improving workforce mobility for internationally educated professionals, advancing national public health data sharing, and ensuring the sustainability of long-term funding for rare disease treatments and community care services.

Public health6 days agoCanada

Canada’s 2-year measles outbreak officially over: PHAC

The Public Health Agency of Canada has declared the two-year national measles outbreak over, following two months without new linked cases. The outbreak resulted in 6,417 total cases across 10 provinces and territories, including 1,033 in Manitoba. Officials continue to emphasize the importance of routine vaccinations to prevent future transmission.

OpinionHealth policyOct 16, 2026Canada

How to spend money and make emergency overcrowding worse

The author argues that expanding emergency departments to address overcrowding often fails if inpatient bottlenecks remain. Citing studies and national data, the piece suggests that increasing ED capacity without improving patient flow can worsen boarding times and strain nursing resources. Governments are urged to prioritize flow management and bed availability over physical facility expansion.

Health policyOct 15, 2026Canada

Canada’s nurses encouraged by extension of federal health funding agreements

The federal government has extended health funding for mental health, addictions, home care, and community services by one year. This extension aligns with existing long-term care agreements and provides a new timeline for governments to discuss long-term funding formulas.