Winnipeg couple frustrated over communication in Manitoba’s health-care system

A Winnipeg couple is voicing frustration over what they call systemic failure within Manitoba’s health-care system.

On Dec. 27, Angela Regier fell down a set of stairs and broke her leg in three places across two bones, requiring surgery.

“My tibia was broken and my fibula was broken,” she told Global News.

She says she spent two days at Concordia Hospital before being transferred to the Health Sciences Centre for surgery. But when it came to finding out any information on when the surgery would be taking place and what the procedure would entail, Angela and her wife Kaila Regier say they were mostly met with silence.

The couple says they were given no timeline, information was sparse, and communication was poor and unacceptable during an already frightening and vulnerable moment.

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“They couldn’t tell me when my surgery was so I was put on the standby list everyday and because of that I had to fast from midnight until 6 or 7 p.m. the next day,” Angela said.

“So for a total of seven days I had fasted while waiting for surgery when nobody could tell us when it was going to be, at what time — anything.”

View image in full screen Angela Regier waited seven days for surgery on her leg. Courtesy / Kaila Regier

They couple says they contacted the patient relations department and were told repeatedly that Angela was on a standby list, but no one could explain to them what that meant or when she would receive care.

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“Still, those answers were very vague,” Kaila said.

“There was a lot of confusion, we were scared. We didn’t know what to expect. And you turn to the people in health care to help get the answers and help ease that anxiety and that fear, and when they’re not able to give you anything, give you any information, it just amplifies that.”

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Angela received surgery on Jan. 3, about seven days after breaking her leg. The couple says the most painful part was the silence, which prompted them to write a letter to Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara over the ordeal, highlighting the communication breakdown in the healthcare system.

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“I am sharing our story not out of anger, but out of deep concern,” Kaila wrote in the letter. “What happened to Angela is not an isolated incident. It reflects a system that is strained, understaffed, and unable to meet the needs of the people it is meant to serve. Manitobans deserve better.”

In an emailed statement, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says they have been in touch with the family.

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“I recognize how difficult it can be for families to navigate an emergency while waiting for information,” the minister wrote.

“Clear and timely communication is so important in moments like this. Families need to understand what is happening and what to expect, and we are committed to continuing to improve how information is shared and how people are supported across the health system.”

The statement added that patients with concerns about their health care experience are encouraged to contact patient relations or submit a formal complaint through the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Meanwhile, Angela and Kaila are hoping sharing their story can help underline the urgent need to address communications within the health-care system.

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“Just sharing communication alone,” Kaila said. “If nothing else changes but that… it will have a significant impact on people’s experiences.”