03/05/2023

Treaty 1 and Dakota Territory, Homeland of the Red River Métis, Winnipeg MB—A Dauphin man suffering from diabetes complications has foregone critical treatment because of a lack of access to local care providers, eight months after the PCs promised to put some in place.

“Vision care is a critical part of our health care, and you shouldn’t have to drive for hours to get it,” said NDP Leader Wab Kinew. “As we get closer to an election, and watch the Pallister-Stefanson PCs roll out press releases with big promises, Manitobans should question whether they can trust this government to keep their word. For this government, it’s not about making people healthier. It’s about their own political fortunes.”

Chris Dunn was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy and is required to get injection treatment every 2-3 months to prevent loss of eyesight. Because there are no retinal specialists in Dauphin, he must travel to Winnipeg for the care and pay for those expenses out of pocket.

In August Mr. Dunn made the difficult decision to pause treatment because of the rising cost of travel and accommodation, along with the need to stay close to his elderly mother. He has not had an injection in six months. He’s now facing a significant risk of losing his sight.

In July 2022 the PC government committed to launching a pilot project to bring retinal specialists to Dauphin once a month. The province said the project would launch in the fall of 2022 and would serve sixty to eighty patients a month.