NDP quietly adds another Deputy Minister but does nothing to add to front line addictions services
The shortage of residential addictions treatment beds for Winnipeg women requires urgent action says Progressive Conservative Health Critic Myrna Driedger, today calling on the NDP government to fund additional beds to address the growing problem.
Currently, the Addictions Foundation Manitoba (AFM) has only 12 dedicated beds for women – causing wait times for treatment to often exceed three months. Addictions experts and other addictions treatment providers have said loud and clear that there are not enough detox and treatment beds, especially for women.
“The NDP have ignored this issue for ten years,” said Driedger. “The waits for treatment are far too long – especially since addicts who detox but can't get into a treatment program may relapse while they wait.”
Driedger said the NDP were elected on a promise to cut the health care bureaucracy and add more focus on front line care, so it’s appalling they continue to add to bureaucracy in the face of such a critical shortage.
“Facing a $600 million deficit – the biggest in Manitoba’s history – quietly before Christmas the NDP split the Department of Health and Healthy Living into two separate departments – adding yet another Deputy Minister to the system,” Driedger said, noting the department overlap has always allowed the two departments to share resources. The move will add hundreds of thousands more to pay for a new and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.”
Driedger said money spent on addictions treatment means savings down the road in terms of the health care, justice and family services system.
“Manitoba’s addiction problems are growing and people are dying on waiting lists,” Driedger said. “The NDP should redirect money to front lines of healthcare for addictions services like they promised to do more than a decade ago.”
