Accessing Health Care
If you are having an emergency, call 911.
For communities without 911 service, check the front of your phone book for emergency numbers or ask your community leaders.
- For information on health care insurance coverage including insured services and excluded services (not covered) in Manitoba, visit: The Manitoba Health Services Insurance Plan.
- To apply for a Manitoba Health card, visit: Manitoba Health Registration Form.
- For information on Personal Care Home services and charges, please visit Personal Care Homes.
To find a family doctor, connect to your closest point of care (hospital, clinic, or other health centre) or to connect to Health Links, visit Finding Care - Patient Care - Shared Health (sharedhealthmb.ca)
Becoming familiar with services available in your community is an important step in being prepared for a medical emergency or urgent health issue for you and your family. Please review the information below or contact your regional health authority so you are prepared.
If you are having an emergency, call 911. For communities without 911 service, check the front of your phone book for emergency numbers or ask your community leaders.
Visit Finding Care - Patient Care - Shared Health (sharedhealthmb.ca) to connect to your closest point of care in Manitoba.
Health Links-Info Santé
It's not always easy to decide whether you should visit a hospital emergency department, an urgent care centre or a local health clinic. Health Links-Info Santé is a telephone health information service staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by knowledgeable, experienced nurses and is free of charge everywhere in Manitoba. Call 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or 1-888-315-9257 (toll-free) elsewhere in the province.
Emergency Care (i.e. emergency department in an acute care hospital)
An emergency is when you need immediate, live-saving care. Examples of an emergency include heart attack, stroke, major trauma, severe head injury, seizure, the loss of a limb, severe difficulty breathing (due to an allergic reaction or other cause), unconsciousness, severe bleeding, or a high fever in infants under two months of age.
Call 911 or visit an emergency department for immediate care. If your issue is not life-threatening, you may wait longer at an emergency department because more serious cases will be given priority.
For communities without 911 service, check the front of your phone book for emergency numbers or ask your community leaders.
Ambulance/Emergency Medical Services
Emergency medical services give pre-hospital care to people who are sick or injured. This includes timely and safe medical assessment, treatment, and transportation services to health-care facilities. Paramedics provide a high level of care from the moment they reach a patient until they get to a health-care facility.
The best way to get help for a medical emergency is to call 911. For communities without 911 service, check the front of your phone book for emergency numbers or ask your community leaders.
Urgent Care
Urgent care is when you need same-day treatment for a serious, unexpected health issue that is not life-threatening. Examples of urgent health issues include sprains and broken bones, eye irritation and redness, a cut that won't stop bleeding or you think might need stitches, a rash accompanied by a high fever, a high fever in a toddler or an infant over two months, minor asthma attacks, minor insect or dog bites, or diarrhea, vomiting and dehydration.
Primary Care
Primary care is the foundation of the health-care system and a priority for Manitobans. Many types of care you receive can be described as primary care. For example, primary care refers to those times when you receive a diagnosis, treatment or help with a health problem, or even when a health-care provider talks with you about staying healthy and preventing illness.
Many people think of primary care as typically provided by family doctors, but it can include nurses, midwives, dietitians, pharmacists, mental health professionals, therapists and others.
Your family doctor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist, local health clinic, walk-in clinic or QuickCare clinic can help you address mild or chronic headaches, back pain or stomach pain, minor cuts, bites or burns, colds, sore throat or sinus problems and ongoing health problems. They can also provide vaccinations, refer you to a specialist or order laboratory tests.
For more information on Primary Care Services, please visit Primary Care | Health | Province of Manitoba (gov.mb.ca)
Home Care
In Manitoba, regional health authorities provide home care services to eligible individuals who require health services or assistance with activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing or personal care. Home care works with individuals and provides assistance to help them stay in their homes for as long as is safely possible.
For more information on Home Care Services, visit Home Care Services in Manitoba | Province of Manitoba (gov.mb.ca).
