The provincial government is making efforts to keep over 300 temporary foreign workers in healthcare, Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced yesterday.
According to a release from the provincial government, 328 temporary foreign workers working in health care have been invited to apply to the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program and remain in Manitoba through an expression of interest (EOI) draw. The draw works through the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program and allows the Manitoba government to nominate skilled workers for permanent residency based on local labour needs.
“Our government is rebuilding health care after years of cuts and neglect,” said Marcelino. “By making it easier for skilled workers to stay and build their careers here, we’re ensuring the staff needed to provide care in our hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities can be there for Manitobans.”
In their release, the province said they were extending the invitation to a group that includes, 187 health-care aides, 21 physicians, and 11 registered nurses. Two of the physicians, according to the province, are currently serving in Killarney. “The impact of this draw for Killarney means that we have two doctors who are choosing to stay and make our community their home,” said Mayor Janice Smith, Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain. “It can be more challenging to recruit in rural communities compared to larger centres, but the right fit sees the incredible value of small-town life. Here, doctors truly become part of the community, and the difference they make is deeply felt and appreciated. With these new physicians, families can count on care being close to home when it’s needed most.”
