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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/4158611_web1_241219-Deer-Lodge-Centre-0090.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
A woman was pushed and chased into Deer Lodge Centre Monday morning.<\/p>\n
Winnipeg police confirmed an incident occurred around 8 a.m. Monday. Officers attended, but the suspect had already fled. Police said Tuesday they could not provide further details.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said the incident began on Portage Avenue near Deer Lodge, where the woman was pushed and then chased into the health-care facility.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny form of assault is unacceptable and has a significant impact on all staff,\u201d a spokesperson for the WRHA said. \u201cDeer Lodge Centre and the WRHA extends its support to the staff member impacted by the event and is working with them to provide any support they need.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Manitoba Associated of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), which represents more than 7,500 allied health professionals in the province, is calling for improved safety protocols, including stronger health and safety programs, better reporting and investigations, infrastructure investments to reduce risk and clearer employer leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s terrible to hear about an MAHCP member, or any front-line worker, facing incidents like this,\u201d said MAHCP president Jason Linklater. \u201cWe know health care is among the most dangerous places to work, and that\u2019s based on the number of (Workers\u2019 Compensation Board) claims we do see and, in particular, violence.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a statement, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said: \u201cNo one should feel unsafe going to or from their workplace, especially those who dedicate their lives to caring for others. While this incident did not occur on-site, we take the safety of health-care workers seriously, including as they arrive at and leave work.\u201d<\/p>\n
The union says incidents such as Monday\u2019s prompted it to file for a writ of mandamus with Manitoba\u2019s Court of King\u2019s Bench in February \u2014 a legal order that compels a government body to fulfil its duties. The application seeks to force safer working conditions in parts of the provincial health-care system.<\/p>\n
The MAHCP argues employers, including Shared Health, have failed to meet legal obligations to provide safe workplaces, particularly amid staffing shortages and excessive workloads, which they say put both workers and patients at risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our firm belief that incidents like (Monday\u2019s) are going to continue to rise while the health system isn\u2019t funded proportionally to address the addictions and mental health issues that are rampant throughout our province,\u201d Linklater said. \u201cInstead, what we see is people left untreated creating dangerous situations to the public at exponential cost.\u201d<\/p>\n
The application seeks to compel the government to enforce the legislation, ensure safety committees are in place and properly resourced, and require consistent reporting of violent incidents. The MAHCP also wants greater focus on safe staffing and workload issues, which it says are closely tied to workplace safety.<\/p>\n
The provincial government has not yet filed any response to the application in court.<\/p>\n
Shared Health said Tuesday it does not comment on matters before the courts.<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s incident is the latest in a series of safety concerns at Manitoba health-care hubs. <\/p>\n
Last year, the Manitoba Nurses Union grey-listed Health Sciences Centre, Thompson General Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital \u2014 discouraging nurses from working there as a last-resort tactic \u2014 while Seven Oaks General Hospital nurses are considering the same. <\/p>\n
The move followed a string of reported assaults at HSC, prompting added measures including 24-7 police in the emergency department starting Nov. 1, and the launch of the \u201cShared Health SAFE\u201d app in October to alert staff to danger and allow location sharing. The province has also set aside $5 million in its 2026-27 budget for further safety improvements and staffing. <\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere has been some good things happen,\u201d Linklater said. \u201cBut in terms of the big picture, where there is really big pieces missing, things like violent incidents not being reported or investigated properly \u2026 paramedics not having workplace health and safety committees in place. It\u2019s a huge problem. <\/p>\n
\u201cI acknowledge all the good work employers have done, but there\u2019s just so much more to do.\u201d <\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s incident is the latest in a series of safety concerns at Manitoba health-care hubs.<\/p>\n
Last year, the Manitoba Nurses Union grey-listed Health Sciences Centre, Thompson General Hospital and St. Boniface Hospital \u2014 discouraging nurses from working there as a last-resort tactic \u2014 while Seven Oaks General Hospital nurses are considering the same.<\/p>\n
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Scott Billeck Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade\u2019s worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024.\u00a0 Read more about Scott<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n
Reporter
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