Manitoba Liberals promise free ambulance rides for low income seniors, NDP touts 8 more QuickCare clinics

Health care was a big topic on the campaign trail for Manitoba provincial election candidates on Thursday, with the NDP promising more QuickCare clinics and the Liberals promising free ambulance services for low-income seniors.

NDP Leader Greg Selinger promised to double the number of QuickCare clinics in Manitoba if elected, bringing the total number to 16. Selinger also promised the NDP would extend hours at all clinics in the province.

The health commitment will cost $8 million in operating costs and $4 million in capital costs to build or repurpose physical spaces, the NDP said.

The clinics are staffed with nurse practitioners and registered nurses who can diagnose and treat minor illnesses like colds, flus or sprains. The clinics are meant to take pressure off of busy emergency rooms.

"The QuickCare Clinics are a very reasonable price," Selinger said. "It's an extremely reasonable and cost effective approach to providing timely accessible quality health care."

Selinger committed to opening new clinics in Transcona and Brandon, to provide coverage to regions currently without the facilities. 

During the 2011 election campaign, the NDP committed to introduce QuickCare Clinics in Manitoba. Since 2012, seven have opened and another one is expected to open later this Spring. 

Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari criticized the NDP for being slow to act. 

"They had 16 years and a lot of opportunity to do this. This is a promise they made for quick care clinics years ago and we're still struggling to get a few up and running so it just doesn't really matter," Bokhari said. 

The Progressive Conservatives criticized the NDP for lengthy wait times in emergency rooms and high ambulance fees. 

"Under Selinger's NDP, Manitobans are left paying the highest ambulance fees, lengthy delays in ambulance offloads and longest waits for emergency care. It is time for a better plan for a better Manitoba. We look forward to sharing our health care polices in the coming weeks," said a Progressive Conservative spokesperson.

Liberals promise free ambulance for low-income seniors

Meanwhile, Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari pledged to provide free ambulance service to low-income seniors, if elected.

A CBC report last fall found Manitoba has the highest ambulance fees in the country. In Winnipeg it costs $512. 

"Nobody should be choosing between, I am having a heart attack and I need to take an ambulance somewhere but I can't pay for it," Bokhari said. "That's just not who we are as Manitobans and that should just not be happening."

• CBC News investigation finds Manitoba has the highest ambulance fees in the country

Only seniors who earn under $20,000 will be eligible for the subsidy. 

"It's not a sliding scale at this moment," said Bokhari, musing other high-income seniors could be included in the rebate later. "But let's just start at this point and see where it goes."

Bokhari did not know how many seniors would be eligible. 

At first, seniors would have to pay for the ride up front, and then would get reimbursed. 

"If we can, we will figure out a system where they actually don't have to pay up front, but currently that's what we're promising," Bokhari said. 

Bokhari forecast the cost of the promise at less than $1.5 million per year.

Also on Thursday, PC Leader Brian Pallister said if elected, he would have the public vote on all major tax increases. 

The election was officially called on Wednesday, and Manitobans head to the polls April 19.

For CBC's full coverage of the provincial election, see Manitoba Votes 2016.