Almost four months ago, Maureen McBratney left her home in Denare Beach to receive urgent medical care. She now needs dialysis and while Flin Flon has a dialysis unit, she and her family say she’s been unable to access it based on where she lives.
McBratney was rushed to hospital June 13 with what would later be diagnosed as end-stage kidney failure. She was medevaced from Flin Flon to Saskatoon for further treatment, where her condition would stabilize after emergency care, regaining consciousness and starting on the long road to recovery.
McBratney now needs dialysis care as part of her condition. That care has not been available to her in Flin Flon, however - despite having grown up in Flin Flon and living a 15-minute drive away from Flin Flon General Hospital, Maureen and her husband Greg have spent most of the past four months in Saskatoon for dialysis because Maureen has been unable to receive it in Flin Flon.
There are dialysis services in Flin Flon, at Flin Flon General Hospital, administered by Shared Health Manitoba, which took on kidney health services from the Manitoba Renal Program last year. The service oversees dialysis units in 20 Manitoba facilities, including Flin Flon, where dialysis runs three days a week - but the program, the McBratneys said, is not accessible to them as non-Manitoba residents.
The McBratneys have been in touch with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Northern Health Region, medical professionals and administrators and even political figures in both provinces to sort the situation out.
“Shared Health, I believe, is our holdup,” said Maureen.
“All the people, the health minister’s people, the doctors, everybody can't believe how ridiculous this situation is - and they're all on board with fixing it. The problem lies with this Shared Health in Manitoba,” said Greg.
“This is what’s created the problem that doesn’t allow Saskatchewan people to receive dialysis in Flin Flon, even though it’s our home.”
The issue of who will pay for McBratney’s care isn’t even in play, say Greg and Maureen - they say Saskatchewan would be willing to cover the costs as Maureen is a Saskatchewan resident, but even that hasn’t gotten things going quicker.
“Saskatchewan is saying, ‘We’ll cover all the costs - just get her in the dialysis unit and plug her in.’ It’s some bureaucrat in Winnipeg that’s causing all this problem - even the dialysis people we’ve talked to are saying this is bullshit.”
The Reminder reached out to Shared Health Manitoba for clarifications on the McBratneys’ case, but did not receive comment before deadline.
At one point, McBratney said she was advised by specialists that in order to receive dialysis care in Flin Flon, she would need a Manitoba health card. McBratney does not qualify for a Manitoba health card due to her living in Saskatchewan, even though the nearest medical facility to her in Saskatchewan is an eight-hour round trip drive away, compared to 15 minutes to get to Flin Flon General Hospital. Specialists said McBratney should try to receive a Manitoba health card however possible, but the family does not consider moving to Manitoba feasible - both McBratneys already have established care with health specialists in Saskatchewan and have not had any issues accessing hospital care in Flin Flon before, when they needed it.
“We’re born and raised in Flin Flon, never had an issue getting a doctor or anything. When we moved to Denare Beach, it was the same thing - I had no trouble getting in to see a doctor, no trouble with blood tests, no trouble with X-rays, none of it. It’s this other thing that’s popped up,” said Maureen.
“I’ve been LifeFlight’ed out a couple of times. Every time, it’ s not a problem getting a flight, getting to Saskatoon then turning around and coming back, seeing my regular doctor. It’s this issue - and as far as we know, Flin Flon has room.”
Over the last nearly four months, Maureen and Greg have been staying at a friend’s house in the city. McBratney would require multiple dialysis treatments per week - if she were to return home, the nearest Saskatchewan medical facility with a dialysis unit would be in Prince Albert, meaning eight-hour round trips multiple times per week with no assistance for fuel or vehicle wear and tear.
People from up north have been in touch with them both, visiting while in town, even dropping off homebaked bread last week. However, the cost of staying in the city and keeping their place back home is being paid out of their own pocket - something that may not be sustainable long-term.
“This has all been out of my putrid little bank account, our savings, which are dwindling, and my pension. We don’t have the affordability to sell the house and move to Saskatoon and buy a $500,000 home and that - it’s just not possible,” Greg said.
Saskatchewan already has arrangements for interprovincial health care in a provincial border town sorted out in Lloydminster, where the hospital is located in Saskatchewan but residents of both Alberta and Saskatchewan can use it.
“We know these documents and policies already exist and have been created between other provinces like Saskatchewan and Alberta, because of Lloydminster. We do know it is possible, especially on the Sask. side,” said Paige Baschuk, the McBratneys’ daughter.
“This is moving at snail speed and my mom and dad need to come home. Our family has decided it is time to bring awareness to our community and other border towns by speaking out online and through media.”
“I’d rather be at home with my daughter and son-in-law, my son, my grandson, friends, my dogs, going to Bomber games,” McBratney said.
“It’s awful having to Facetime every night with a five-year-old, who at the end of the call with his grandma, he’ll say, ‘You need to come home - I miss you.’ And I have to say, ‘I’m sorry sweetheart, I can’t yet.’ ‘Why?’ “Well, Grandma doesn’t know that yet.’ Five-year-olds are smart, they hear things - the other day, our call ended with him saying, ‘the politicians need to let Grandma come home.’ Five-year-olds shouldn’t need to do that.”
In the meantime, the McBratneys and their family are still waiting to hear when they can return home and access treatment.
“I understand that bureaucracy takes a while. Unfortunately, dialysis patients do not have that kind of time,” said McBratney.
“They have all the time - we don’t.”
