The Manitoba government can turn to the military for assistance as it struggles with staff shortages, overcrowding, and in some cases, temporary closures of emergency rooms.

Staff shortages are putting pressure on the healthcare system. It is a serious problem to the extent that Premier Heather Stefanson does not rule out requesting military assistance.

Stefanson said at a press conference on Tuesday, "We will continue to assess the situation through the Emergency Management Office, and if necessary, we will take action."

The Manitoba Nurses Union said the current situation inside emergency rooms fuels burnout and drives nurses to leave their jobs. Also, in some cases, patients are placed in break rooms and hallways to help clear the emergency room.

Darlene Jackson, the union president, said, "We spend every day apologizing." "Apologizing to patients because we did not have the time to reach them as quickly as they deserve because when you add more patients, they do not add more nurses."

According to Jackson, there are about 2,500 vacancies in Manitoba affecting the entire province. On Friday, the Pine Falls Health Complex had to temporarily close the emergency department due to staff shortages.

Health Minister Audrey Gordon said solving the problem is a top priority. Gordon said, "We are committed to working with those communities to reopen these emergency departments and staff them."

She said the province is working on recruiting, training, and retaining more nurses, and noted that the province is actively meeting with frontline health leaders to come up with more solutions.

She said, "We know the system is under tremendous pressure right now, and we are all around the solutions table talking about how to alleviate these pressures."

In a statement to CTV News, Shared Health said current wait times are a concern for everyone in the healthcare system.