Southern Chiefs’ Organization Supporting Lab Training to Bring Health Care Home to Lake Manitoba First Nation – Education News Canada
February 26, 2024
The Health Transformation Department at the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is working in collaboration with partners to bring more comprehensive health services closer to home for citizens of Lake Manitoba First Nation by providing access to lab services in the nation for the first time. The Manitoba government is providing services including mentoring and lab equipment.
“Every Manitoban deserves quality care, close to home. We are proud to partner with SCO to help improve access to essential health-care services in Lake Manitoba First Nation,” said Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “Our goal is to ensure that throughout our province, all Manitobans have access to convenient, timely and reliable lab services. It is particularly important in this case that care is being delivered by citizens of Lake Manitoba First Nation, who will be trained and working in their community.”
While Lake Manitoba has a new health centre with a lab on site, there are no staff who have training to deliver lab services. A new training program means the centre will soon be able to provide services that were not previously available. Members currently need to drive or get a ride to Eriksdale (about 38 kilometres away) or Ashern (about 52 kilometres away) to access lab services.
“SCO’s Health Transformation team has listened to voices of the citizens from 34 southern First Nations. These community members expressed there is a need to have more of our citizens working in the health-care field within our nations to bring a fuller suite of health care services closer to home,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “SCO is extremely pleased to know Lake Manitoba residents are being trained to deliver lab services in their home nation. This will create new career opportunities and will also build capacity for the delivery of comprehensive health services within Lake Manitoba.”
