WINNIPEG -- A First Nation in northern Manitoba says many of its residents, including infants, elders and people with chronic health conditions, are going without basic health care because of a nursing shortage in the community.
Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation's nursing station has been open only for medical emergencies since last year because the community has just two nurses to service its 3,500 citizens.
Chief Angela Levasseur says members are forced to travel outside the community to get basic care like bloodwork or medication refills.
She is calling on the federal government to provide funding for an additional three nurses for the nation.
Government data shows that nursing stations in remote First Nations communities in Manitoba were facing a 67 per cent operational vacancy in the last fiscal year.
Levasseur says the federal government needs to address the wage gap between what it offers nurses and what private agencies provide.
This report by was first published July 22, 2024.