With the province doubling its capacity for COVID-19 testing in the wake of the re-opening on Monday, the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals is questioning why the government went with Dynacare as opposed to Shared Health.

 

Bob Moroz says the association is wondering why Manitoba is increasing capacity by enlisting a private lab when the province has a functioning public lab system that can take on the capacity with the right investment.

 

Moroz explains that the announcement came as a surprise to the MAHCP, as they’ve been in talks with both Shared Health and the union representing Cadham Provincial Lab employees, and talks of privatization didn’t come up.

 

He adds that the association has members from both Shared Health and Dynacare, and he’s concerned that Dynacare’s staff in Manitoba may not get that extra work, as it’s to his understanding that the tests are being sent to Dynacare’s lab in Brampton, Ontario.

 

That in turn could increase the turnover time in which tests results are sent back to patients in Manitoba.

 

When asked to clarify where the tests allocated to Dynacare are being sent to be analyzed, Premier Brian Pallister says that Manitobans don’t care where the tests are done, just that they get the tests when they need it, and Dynacare’s employment opportunities are ramping up in the province.