The Northern Health Region declared an emergency due to critical staffing shortages Tuesday, only to have Manitoba Health say the declaration was rescinded.

Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said after the memo's release that the emergency declaration had been called prematurely.

The declaration covered the emergency and special care units at St. Anthony’s General Hospital in The Pas and Thompson General Hospital.   It also included the obstetrics and operating room departments at the Thompson hospital, according to an internal memo sent to health region staff members on April 27th.

A meeting between the health region and the Manitoba Nurses Union to discuss the declaration is scheduled for today.

The health minister said the region's existing contract with the Manitoba Nurses Union outlines options it could take to fix staffing issues before calling an emergency.