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This article was published 1/6/2018 (845 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Paramedicine now falls under the umbrella of the Regulated Health Professions Act, the province announced Friday -- and Manitoba's civil service union is delighted.

The Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union applauded the move by Health, Seniors and Active Living Minister Kelvin Goertzen.

"It has taken years to get to this point, but I know our paramedic members are happy this day has arrived," said MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky. "Our union has supported self-regulation from the outset, because it’s in the best interests of our paramedics and Manitobans.

"This will ensure there is a standard of practice for paramedics that show up at your door."

The long journey to Manitoba's paramedics joining 22 other regulated health professions led to consultation, resulting in a series of recommendations in May 2017. Even then, there were concerns about start-up costs, membership fees, and liability insurance that are still being studied.

"Paramedics are often the first point of contact for patients suffering through potentially life-threatening, traumatic situations," Goertzen said Friday. "Giving this profession the right to self-regulate acknowledges their importance to the health-care system and the work they do, for the benefit of all Manitobans."

Cameron Ritzer, chairman of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba, could not be reached Friday, but had previously said self-regulation will ensure paramedics are held to the same standards for education, licensing, conduct and competence as Manitoba's 22 other regulated health professions.

Goertzen said the Regulated Health Professions Act will bring all regulated health professions under one umbrella piece of legislation. It set out a new way of regulating who does what in the provision of health services, based on the concept of regulating specific procedures.

"The act includes the establishment of a college for the profession and also sets out the scope of practice for paramedicine. The act also provides for the creation of a 15-member transitional council," Gawronsky said.

"As previously announced, four MGEU members have been appointed to it... Leah Braun, an emergency medical services superintendent from Portage la Prairie; Christine Greer, a (Medical Transportation Co-ordination Centre) dispatcher; Karen Martin, a paramedic from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, and Marilyn McNeill, a paramedic from Pinawa."

"On behalf of the council, I’m pleased the regulations have been put in place to move this process forward," said council chairman John Wade, a former deputy minister of health and past chairman of the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority board. "Our next steps are to undertake the work needed to enable the college to assume the responsibility to regulate the profession, including recruiting the first registrar/executive director."

Goertzen said the appointments follow the Manitoba government’s announcement earlier this spring to fund 60 new full-time equivalent paramedic positions throughout the province.

"The new hires, which will reduce emergency medical service reliance on on-call staffing positions by hiring full-time positions instead, represent a $2.4-million investment for the final two quarters of this year, increasing to $5 million in 2019," the minister said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca