In 2018, the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Chiefs Task Force was established with the goal of developing a plan to assume control over First Nations health services in northern Manitoba. This effort was a response to concerns that remote First Nation communities were not being treated as equals to other Manitobans in the health care system. Several problems were identified by the Chiefs Task Force including:
- Insufficient decision-making power or power to influence change in the health systems
- Gaps in health services compared to other Manitobans
- Government policies that create hardships and vulnerabilities for northern First Nation patients particularly for those that must travel to receive care
- Systemic racism
- Lack of health care professionals (nurses, physicians, specialists) at the community-level
- Limited access to required diagnostic services
- Inadequate or inoperable diagnostic equipment at the community-level
- Crumbling infrastructure in the communities and region, including nursing stations with inadequate space and/or hospitals that have not had upgrades for decades
In response, Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin (translated from Cree means Northern Peoples’ Wellness) was established in December 2019 to address these and other emerging issues.