Federal government expected to respond to Manitoba's request for ICU nurses 'within days'

Ottawa is expected to respond to Manitoba's request for federal assistance later this week, says a federal spokesperson.

"Safe to say there will be a response within days," the spokesperson said in an email to CBC News.

Over the weekend, the province asked the federal government for 15 to 30 intensive care unit nurses for approximately six weeks, per a statement from the province Monday afternoon.

Winnipeg intensive care physician Kendiss Olafson says the shuffling of intensive care beds has become the "day-to-day reality" of what front-line health-care workers are dealing with trying to combat COVID-19, while also trying to provide the best care possible for non-COVID patients.

Olafson appreciates that the province reached out to the federal government to ask for help over the weekend.

"It's an important first step. I'm happy that our government is willing to ask and receive help. Our ICU staff right now are so overwhelmed and we're in desperate need of assistance to deal with people that are coming through our doors," she said. 

Olafson, who also has a masters in public health, added that there is the potential for concern if there is an uptick in transmission or a subsequent rise in case numbers.

"I am concerned, however, that cases may be increasing, especially with new variants. And with the holiday seasons coming that this 15 to 30 nurses may not be sufficient unless we are able to introduce further mitigation strategies to decrease our case load," she said.

Dr. Dan Roberts was among 10 Manitoba doctors that penned a letter to Premier Heather Stefanson on Saturday, asking the military to be called for help, and for the province to crack down on people who are breaking public health orders.

He doesn't think the province's request goes far enough.

"I think it's a small number. I think that they should have asked for 40 to 50 nurses," Roberts said.

He said each intensive care bed requires about two to three nurses, so if the federal government approves the request, Manitoba will be able to open about a dozen more ICU beds.

"They're operating about 105 beds right now, they're using probably somewhere near 300 nurses, and they're drowning."

As of Monday morning, 102 patients were in Manitoba critical care units, a rise of nearly 17 per cent from a week ago, a spokesperson from Shared Health said.