Through their Emergency Medical Responder and Medical Transportation Initiative, Keewatin Tribal Council and Four Arrows Regional Health Authority are doing important work to increase the number of Indigenous Emergency Medical Responders in Manitoba.
Through this initiative, First Nations in the region will benefit from skills and knowledge training to deliver emergency response, management and support in their communities. This program also acts as a stepping stone for those who want to train to become advanced care paramedics. The recruitment and training of First Nations people in community is helping to ensure the safe transportation of community members within the communities they serve and that they have access to health care services where and when they need them.
These investments and the Emergency Medical Responder and Medical Transportation Initiative align with the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action to increase the number of Indigenous professionals in Canada's health systems. Indigenous Services Canada has supported this work with $1 million in investments in the 2021-22 fiscal year to help develop and deliver safer and more culturally inclusive care.
The federal government remains committed to supporting work to address anti-Indigenous racism in health systems and the legacy of colonialism that continues to impact the health outcomes of Indigenous Peoples.
