View From the Legislature

Prior to the last provincial election, one of the consistent concerns that I heard from local residents was the high cost of using an ambulance. By that time the cost had risen to more than $500 per call in some cases. That made Manitoba among the most expensive places in Canada to call for an ambulance.

The result of this very high fee meant that many Manitobans, when they were faced with an emergency, were spending time thinking about whether or not they could afford to call an ambulance. Too often we heard stories about people who would drive themselves to a hospital or have someone else drive them when it would have been more appropriate to call for an ambulance.

As a result, during the last election campaign, we committed that as a government we would reduce the fees by half within four years of being elected. On Monday of this week, I was pleased to be joined by Premier Brian Pallister, members of the Progressive Conservative Caucus, paramedics and Manitoba seniors to provide an update on this commitment.

As of the beginning of April, ambulance fees have been reduced from a previous high of $500 to $340. While there is more work to do, we are on target to meet our election promise of reducing the cost of an ambulance call from $500 to $250.

In their most vulnerable time, when Manitobans need the help of our professional paramedics by calling 911, they should not be calculating the cost of such a call and wondering how they will afford it. Reducing ambulance fees will lessen this burden and ensure Manitobans get the help they need when they need it.