Manitoba
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Manitoba Health

Primary Health Care

Maternal and Child Healthcare Services (MACHS) Task Force

On September 9, 2008 the province confirmed that it will implement all of the recommendations from the Maternal and Child Health Services (MACHS) Task Force, which was established by the Minister of Health in March 2007.  The task force made 20 recommendations and suggested 25 initiatives to build on the maternal and child health-care services available in Manitoba.  

The province will invest $1.1 million to implement 13 immediate priorities included in the report to help strengthen both primary care and prevention services by addressing gaps in current services and supporting access to improved services closer to home.

  • A 24-hour, seven-day-a-week hotline will be established to allow physicians from across the province to quickly connect with obstetric/gynecologic/pediatric experts to consult on complex cases.  In some cases, this will decrease the need to transport rural and northern Manitobans away from their communities for care. 
  • The dedicated 24-hour, seven-day-a-week Telehealth links between maternity units and neonatal intensive care units will be expanded to include all Manitoba facilities providing planned birth services.  In addition, a similar dedicated Telehealth link for obstetrics between one rural or northern maternity unit and a tertiary care obstetrical unit in Winnipeg will be established. 
  • Training will be provided for peer support workers to offer prenatal and postnatal social support as well as labour support for delivery in a culturally appropriate manner including services in First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages.
  • A referral system will be developed to help expectant women who have to relocate from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities or rural/remote communities for extended periods of time to access co-ordinated prenatal and social supports.
  • A working group will be established to engage the community and develop community-based resources to support women who have to relocate from First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities or rural/remote communities for extended periods of time to give birth.
  • A central maternal and child-health data system will be expanded to support planning, delivery and evaluation of birthing service and maternal and child health programs in Manitoba.
  • An annual round table will be established to share data and information on maternal and child health with health-care providers across the province.
  • Support will be provided to the regional health authorities to review maternal and child health-care services in their regions.
  • The regional health authorities will be supported as they develop regional maternal newborn service strategies.
  • Regional health authorities will hire new staff to support women who have temporarily relocated to access birth services outside their home communities.
  • Information resources will be developed to tell women about the available social services and supports and to help them access those services.
  • Patient-care models from other jurisdictions will be reviewed to help Manitoba develop its maternal and child health-care system to provide better care with respect for individuality ethnicity, dignity and privacy.
  • A new program to help reduce vitamin D deficiencies in women and their infants will be introduced.

The task force focused on practical solutions, where change can be seen and measured.  Implementation of the recommendations will further work already done toward an integrated and accessible health care network for Manitoba children.

Task Force Report