WINNIPEG WEATHER

Manitoba Government Orders Prairie Mountain Health to Cut For-Profit Nursing Costs

In a move to bolster public healthcare, the Manitoba government has directed Prairie Mountain Health leadership to slash for-profit nursing agency costs by 15 per cent by March 2026. The decision, announced today by Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara, is part of a broader initiative to refocus funding on public system nurses.

“Prairie Mountain Health has consistently been dealt a bad hand,” stated Minister Asagwara. “Alongside the challenges in the area, the previous government gave the region little to no support by cutting services, closing ERs, and firing nurses, leading to millions overspent on private nursing agencies. Enough is enough. It’s time to put a hard stop on private for-profit nursing agency over-spending and re-invest in the public system. Our government is committed to working with all health regions to bring nurses back into the public system.”

This directive aligns with the Manitoba government’s ongoing efforts to invest in publicly funded healthcare and encourage nurses to join the public system.

The minister also highlighted a recent request for proposals (RFP) aimed at reducing the number of contracted agencies, ensuring that the majority of healthcare funding is directed to public front-line workers and their patients. The RFP, which has now closed, will see the government begin reviewing and evaluating proposals this week.

Historically, Manitoba has maintained hundreds of distinct contracts with over 70 private for-profit agencies, with minimal regulation on their impact on public system nurses or the rates charged to publicly funded service delivery organizations, the minister noted.

© 2025 News4.ca

Tags

Share this post:

logo-oxary.png
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore
logo-oxary.png
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore
logo-oxary.png
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore