WINNIPEG — Manitoba’s health minister and the province’s nursing authority are at odds over qualifications after a disciplinary panel stripped a licence because of “shocking” misconduct that nearly ended a patient’s life. The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba issued a 41-page decision on Nipaben Patel Thursday about her actions at Lynn Lake Hospital’s emergency department in 2024. Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara responded later in the day, calling the misconduct in the case rare and telling the college it has to establish registration requirements while, at the same time, abiding by free trade labour mobility rules. The latest directive from Asagwara in June said labour mobility obligations under internal trade agreements — the Canadian Free Trade Agreement and New West Trade Partnership Agreement — required the province to register a nurse registered in another province. It said she lacked the knowledge, skill and judgment to make the right choices and conduct herself “in a manner consistent with the requirements of competent registered nursing practice.