Mayor Brian Bowman is tabling a motion at Executive Policy Committee (EPC) Wednesday that would seek full recovery of the costs associated with delivering emergency medical services in Winnipeg.
“Health services are a provincial government responsibility and this includes emergency medical services,” said Mayor Brian Bowman. “Delivering a provincial service should not come at the expense of Winnipeg property taxpayers. It’s important that as a contractor delivering these services on the province’s behalf that it be done so at a level that is cost neutral to the City of Winnipeg.”
Health services including emergency medical services, medical transportation between facilities and community paramedicine services are a provincial responsibility.
The city of Winnipeg provides emergency medical services under a contract with Shared Health Services.
In November of 2017 Shared Health froze payments for service at 2016 rates for 2017 and 2018 without any consultation with the city. Service levels were also to be maintained without a decrease.
According to the mayor, this immediately caused a funding shortfall for the City of Winnipeg. Bowman says that the city is willing to provide any level of service that Shared Health requires but not through property taxes.
“We are certainly willing to deliver whatever level of emergency medical service the province deems necessary in Winnipeg,” said Mayor Bowman. “But, subsidizing the cost of delivering a provincial health service through property taxes poses too significant of a threat to prosperity for Winnipeg residents who are already facing increases in automobile insurance rates as well as multiple increases in electricity rates.”
The city contract with Shared Health expired in March of 2016 but was extended for one year until April 2017. The mayor says that they have been trying to negotiate and formalize a new agreement with the province but to date that has not happened.
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