A part of the 2019 budget in Manitoba was adding 35 full-time equivalent rural paramedic positions.
Most of those positions have been filled with the rest to come in January.
The new paramedics are based out of Russell, Swan River, Flin Flon, and Snow Lake/Cranberry Portage.
Once all 35 positions have been filled, Manitoba’s EMS funding will be at 12.1 million dollars.
Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Cameron Friesen says these investments are in addition to the government’s most recent commitment to hire an additional 80 full-time paramedics over the next four years.
Since 2016, the provincial government has improved emergency services by giving paramedics the right to self-regulate under the Regulate Health Professions Act, purchasing 65 new ambulances, and reducing ambulance fees by half to 250 dollars.
