Manitoba committing $22.1M to rebuild cardiac care services at St. Boniface Hospital
CBC
Cardiac services are set to expand at a Winnipeg hospital once regarded as one of the best in Canada for heart care.
The 2026 provincial budget includes $22.1 million to enhance cardiac care at St. Boniface Hospital, a ministerial spokesperson said in advance of the budget's release Tuesday.
New Democrats promised during the 2023 election campaign that they would create a cardiac centre of excellence, saying the cardiac-care program faltered under the Progressive Conservative government.
Funding for the enhanced unit, called Heart Care Manitoba, will add 18 beds and create a cardiac assessment unit, the government said. The funding will also be used to place a cardiologist in the emergency room to provide quick consultations to patients experiencing chest pain and other symptoms.
Dr. Anita Soni, who leads cardiac sciences at St. Boniface, said rebuilding cardiac capacity is vital, with cardiovascular issues accounting for one-quarter of deaths in Manitoba.
"Rapid access to that speciality cardiac care is extremely important for all people in Manitoba — timely access, equitable access and optimal high-quality care using the latest technologies," she said.
Under the plan, a dedicated unit adjacent to the emergency department will allow patients with heart-related issues to be monitored and receive testing. These people will be moved out of the waiting room, freeing up space in the emergency department, Soni said.
The hospital will also have a cardiologist stationed in the emergency department.
Currently, cardiologists are balancing patient discharges with new arrivals, especially in the morning.
"What we realized is it would be beneficial to have a dedicated consultant in the emergency room looking at [patients], while the other cardiologists are busy with discharging and making sure patients are discharged safely," Soni said.
The plan also expands operating days in the cardiac catheterization lab — known as the cath lab, which uses diagnostic imaging to examine the arteries and chambers of the heart — and the electrophysiology lab, which inspects heart rhythm disorders.
The province is also expanding the central hub for triaging patients with various heart-related issues, Soni said.
In 2017, the Canadian Institute for Health Information cited St. Boniface as one of the best places to go in Canada for cardiac surgery.
That reputation was greatly diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. The NDP argued the cardiac unit had trouble recruiting perfusionists and other staff, and that the PC government didn't help.
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