Manitoba eyes health-care help in Ottawa's coming budget
CBC
Brenda Spearman suffers from chronic back pain. She struggles to walk, can't sit for longer than 30 minutes and requires the use of multiple medications to dull the sensations emanating from her neck and spine.
"Lying down is my my go-to move," says the 58-year-old resident of Winnipeg's Elmwood neighbourhood.
"I usually sleep 17 hours a day because that is the only way I can deal with the pain, and that is no quality of life."
Spearman has endured five surgeries over the past three decades. Her neurosurgeon, she said, doesn't believe there's anything else that can be done to ease her pain.
Her general practitioner ordered up an MRI just to be certain. That was last September and Spearman only recently received word she will have that diagnostic procedure — this coming June.
"You have to have these MRIs for proof that you need a neurosurgeon," she said, adding she would love to be put on a provincial waiting list for spinal surgery.
Spearman is among tens of thousands of Manitobans who find themselves waiting for diagnostic procedures or surgeries.
The province has created a task force in an effort to reduce the backlog for these procedures, which number more than 150,000, according to Doctors Manitoba.
The federal government has pledged $2 billion to the provinces to help reduce these backlogs, which grew larger during the pandemic.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson said she hopes to see even more money for provincial health care when the federal government unveils its budget on Thursday.
"Every single premier is on board with calling on the federal government for more money in the way of Canada health transfers," Stefanson said Wednesday at the Manitoba legislative building.
WATCH | Health care funding on budget wish list:
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