Melissa Carter thought her elderly mother was confused when she said her father would be transferred to a hospital over two hours away from Winnipeg.
“We thought, no that can’t be right,” said Carter.
Elias Apalit, who has dementia and diabetes, got admitted to Concordia Hospital around New Year’s for dehydration. He fell and broke his leg while in hospital and was transferred to Minnedosa mid-January.
The 76-year-old is one of 287 people who have been transferred by Shared Health to other hospitals because of COVID-19.
Carter’s mother has been staying in a motel in Minnedosa, to be with her husband of over 50 years.
Advocates say it should have never gone this far.
“The simple fact is its being done because the government has not properly resourced our health care facilities, and it has not acted to contain COVID-19,” said Thomas Linner, director of Manitoba Health Coalition.
On top of her dad being so far from home, Carter says her mother has to pay for the housing and living expenses up front.
She says Shared Health has told her to keep her receipts to be reimbursed up to $100 per day for food and accommodation.
The government announced the voucher program for family of transferred patients in January, with plans for implementation in February.
While Carter says times are tough, she’s finding some optimism.
“Everyone in Minnedosa has been lovely and kind…that has made this situation a little easier to bear, knowing that there are some really kind people out there,” she said.
Carter says she’s unsure of her father’s release date.
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