Media Release: New Shared Health Data Cast Doubt on Government’s Paramedic Claims
Health Minister says net gain of 18 paramedics, Shared Health says net loss of 34
WINNIPEG— April 23, 2026—New data from Shared Health, obtained by the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), reveal a two-year decline in the number of paramedics available to attend emergency calls in rural Manitoba, from 519 in December 2023 to 485 in December 2025, a net loss of 34. The decline is province-wide, not just in Western Manitoba as previously reported. The most recent government figures, provided in November 2025, initially claimed a net gain of 231, but corrected that figure to only 18 net new paramedics. Budget 2026 did not include a net-new paramedic update.
“Paramedics, and the Manitobans they serve, are tired of the numbers game the government keeps playing,” said MAHCP President Jason Linklater. “Manitobans expect a fully-funded plan, backed by reliable data, to address the paramedic staffing crisis in rural communities.”
The detailed Shared Health data show staffing declines in almost every area of the province — North, South and West — with only a small gain in the East Zone (EMS operational zones correspond to the boundaries of rural health regions). All areas of the province have seen significant increases in vacancy rates, with one in four (25 per cent) positions unfilled province-wide, according to the data.
MAHCP believes the true vacancy rate is higher. The Brandon Sun recently reported Shared Health data showing 60 unfilled Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) positions in the West Zone alone, with a vacancy rate of 43 per cent, significantly higher than the number of reported vacancies in the data MAHCP obtained.
“Government has repeatedly committed, to Manitobans and to paramedics, that they will fix this crisis,” said Linklater. “They have failed to retain paramedics where they are needed, with more than 70 paramedics lost since October 2023, and they are not educating or recruiting enough to fill the growing gaps. Manitobans are paying the price in longer waits for life-saving paramedic care.”
A recent letter to MAHCP from government confirmed it is choosing not to hire qualified paramedics for some open PCP positions. Instead, Shared Health is using funding allocated for vacant PCP positions to hire emergency medical responders (EMRs), which Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara has characterized as an “alternative level of care.”
MAHCP is calling for a fully-funded allied health workforce plan, including significant retention, recruitment and education initiatives for paramedics. See below for MAHCP’s paramedic recruitment and retention recommendations that have been provided to the Manitoba Government.
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About MAHCP
MAHCP is a member-driven, democratic union of more than 7,600 allied health professionals, including more than 500 paramedics. We are the only labour union in Manitoba solely dedicated to professional/technical and paramedical occupational groups. Our members deliver high-quality patient, client, and resident care in 50+ distinct professions across hundreds of classifications, and working in diagnostics, assessment, rehabilitation, treatment, and therapy, in labs, hospitals, clinics, long-term care, and community settings. www.mahcp.ca
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tim Smith – Special Advisor, Policy and Public Affairs
tim@mahcp.ca | M: 431-337-7787