Nursing shortage in Winnipeg may give perps ‘free pass’ after sex assault: women’s health worker
Global News
'If they’re not even going to be able to support people that are sexual assault victims, what are your priorities?'
The executive director of the Women’s Health Clinic says she’s at a loss for words after learning victims of sexual assault are being turned away from Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre, told not shower to preserve evidence and to come back later because of a shortage of trained staff.
The Manitoba Nurses Union said Wednesday the staffing situation for the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) program at HSC is so dire some victims are being sent home with orders not to shower or wipe themselves after using the washroom until there are staff available to examine them.
“It’s atrocious, appalling — I could go on. It’s shocking,” said Kemlin Nembhard, executive director of the Women’s Health Clinic, in an interview with Global News Thursday.
“That’s submitting people to a whole other level of violence.
“You’re taking people that are already marginalized, already traumatized and retraumatizing them. It’s just awful.”
The nurses union and the opposition NDP are placing blame for the situation squarely on the Progressive Conservative government.
Last April, in an announcement timed to mark Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Manitoba Health Minister Audrey Gordon announced $640,000 in funding to hire five full-time forensic nurse examiners, including a provincial co-ordinator.
Currently there is only one full-time nurse — the rest are on-call — resulting in overwhelmed staff who aren’t able to keep up with demand, according to the nurses union.