As flames pushed thousands from their northern Manitoba homes this week, Winnipeg’s health authorities have quietly orchestrated a massive care response that reveals both the resilience and strain within our provincial systems.
Walking through the emergency shelter at the RBC Convention Centre yesterday, I watched as nurses moved between rows of cots, checking blood pressures and distributing medications to evacuees from Flin Flon and surrounding communities. A grandmother from Creighton told me she’d left behind her blood pressure pills during the rushed evacuation.
“I never thought I’d need to memorize my prescription names,” she said, clutching a newly provided week’s supply. “The nurse here found what I needed in twenty minutes.”
This individual story multiplied by nearly 8,000 evacuees demonstrates the scope of health challenges facing southern Manitoba as wildfires continue their devastating march across the north.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority confirmed yesterday they’ve deployed an additional 47 healthcare workers specifically to address evacuee needs. These include primary care practitioners, mental health specialists, and pharmacy staff who have been reassigned from regular duties throughout the region.
“We’ve established three satellite health stations at major evacuation centers,” explained Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer. “Our goal is preventing routine health issues from becoming emergencies that would further strain hospital systems.”
This approach seems to be working. Emergency department visits at Health Sciences Centre saw only a modest 8% increase over typical volumes this week, despite the population surge. Most evacuee health needs are being addressed at the temporary clinics before requiring hospital intervention.
The Shared Health Manitoba dashboard shows current emergency wait times remaining within seasonal averages – an achievement considering the circumstances.
However, behind this coordinated response lies a system already stretched thin. Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson noted that this redeployment of staff comes at a cost.
“We’re managing this crisis because our nurses are working overtime and postponing vacations,” Jackson told me during a phone interview. “This isn’t sustainable long-term, especially if these evacuations extend through summer.”
The financial impact remains difficult to calculate. The provincial government has allocated $3.7 million in emergency health funding, but Shared Health officials acknowledge this may need to be supplemented if the evacuation extends beyond two weeks.
For evacuees with chronic conditions, continuity of care presents particular challenges. Dialysis patients from Flin Flon have been integrated into Winnipeg’s treatment schedule, adding 17 additional patients to a system that typically operates near capacity.
CancerCare Manitoba has also adjusted chemotherapy appointments to accommodate 11 patients from affected northern communities.
“We’re dealing with the immediate needs while planning for potentially weeks of displacement,” explained Cameron Friesen, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living. “The real test comes if we need to maintain these services through July.”
Indigenous Services Canada has deployed community health nurses to specifically support First Nations evacuees, providing culturally appropriate care and navigation assistance. This parallel system helps address historical barriers that have sometimes prevented Indigenous evacuees from accessing timely care during previous displacement events.
Mental health supports have emerged as a critical need. Crisis response teams are embedded at each major evacuation site, offering drop-in counseling services that have seen steady demand.
“The trauma isn’t just about what people have left behind,” explained Dr. Jitender Sareen, psychiatry department head at the University of Manitoba. “It’s the uncertainty of not knowing when they can return or what they’ll find when they do.”
For children especially, this disruption carries significant impacts. Child psychologists from the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre are conducting play therapy sessions at family shelters, helping younger evacuees process their experiences.
Manitoba Health has also temporarily modified prescription protocols, allowing evacuees to refill medications without original documentation – a policy shift that required emergency approval but has proven essential for chronic care continuity.
Community pharmacies across Winnipeg have joined the effort, with Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall locations offering priority service for evacuee prescriptions.
What remains less visible is the delicate coordination happening behind the scenes. Daily health briefings occur at 7 a.m. between evacuation center coordinators, public health officials, and hospital administrators to identify emerging needs and adjust resources accordingly.
This response builds on lessons learned during previous Manitoba evacuations, including the 2011 flooding that displaced thousands from First Nations communities for extended periods.
“We’ve developed more comprehensive protocols since then,” explained a senior WRHA official who requested anonymity to discuss operational details. “But each emergency presents unique challenges. The scale of this evacuation exceeds what we’ve managed before.”
For Flin Flon residents with scheduled medical appointments, a temporary health records system has been established to ensure critical information follows them. Hospital administrators have prioritized continuity for cancer treatments, prenatal care, and other time-sensitive health needs.
As smoke periodically drifts south into Winnipeg itself, air quality concerns create additional health considerations. Public health officials have installed air quality monitoring stations at major evacuation centers and issued guidelines for limiting outdoor activities when conditions deteriorate.
What’s remarkable about this health response isn’t just its scale but how it reveals both strengths and vulnerabilities in our provincial systems. The ability to rapidly deploy resources demonstrates impressive coordination, yet the strain on healthcare workers highlights existing workforce challenges that predated this crisis.
For evacuees, these health services provide essential stability amid profound disruption. As one mother from Flin Flon told me while waiting for her child’s asthma medication: “At least here, we know help is available. That’s something to hold onto when everything else feels uncertain.”
As Manitoba faces what may become weeks of continued evacuation management, these health services represent both immediate necessity and longer-term resilience – qualities our communities will need in abundance as climate-driven disasters become increasingly common across the Canadian north.
