A petition seeking the return of two foot nurse positions in Thompson was read in the Manitoba legislature on the second day of its current session March 2.
Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew read the petition as part of his party’s commitment to ensuring work that would have been done by former Thompson MLA Danielle Adams, who died in a car crash in December, would continue until her successor is chosen though a byelection some time later this spring.
The petition was organized and signature collected by a committee of the Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council, which found through research that there are more than 2,500 people aged 55 and up in Thompson and that the only medical foot care in Manitoba is in Winnipeg, where there are 14 such clinics.
The Northern Regional Health Authority shut down the foot care program in Thompson in 2019 when the nurses providing those services retired. The program not only served Thompson but also residents in outlying communities who needed assistance with foot care.
“This is a service that we have seen can be provided in Northern Manitoba, so why don’t we bring this health care service closer to home?” Kinew said to the Thompson Citizen. “I think we all want to see health care be closer to home.”
Premier Heather Stefanson was in the legislature when the petition was read, said Kinew, so her government is certainly aware of the desire among Thompson residents to hav this service restored.
During a recent visit to Thompson, Kinew met with the women behind the petition.
“It was really nice to talk with them and to hear how they’re really passionate about this and how part of their vision for the Thompson community is that people like them advocate for health care, foot care in this case, and push for services that the north deserves,” Kinew said.
Hiring two nurses is much cheaper over the long run than dealing with more serious foot issues, like complications from diabetes that can lead to amputation.
“At the personal level, this is a smart move to provide foot care because it prevents illness for the individual,” said Kinew. “At the provincewide level, it’s a smart move because if we spend a small amount of money delivering foot care now, we can avoid having to spend tens of thousands of dollars per person later in the form of surgeries and hospital stays.”
Reading the petition into the record also helps people keep track of how long it takes the provincial government to respond to their concerns, or if it does at all.
The NDP leader said he doesn’t expect foot care services in Thompson to be restored overnight “but I think it’s a very important step toward pushing for that change.”
