Federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos listens to a question during a news conference, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
EDMONTON – Alberta has become the latest province to sign an agreement in principle with Ottawa on health-care funding.
The federal government says in a news release that more than $24 billion is to be invested in Alberta’s health-care system over the next 10 years.
That includes $2.9 billion for a new bilateral agreement focused on shared health priorities and $233 million in an immediate, one-time top up to the Canada Health Transfer to address urgent needs.
Those urgent needs include help for pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms, as well as addressing long wait times for surgeries.
Alberta is the seventh province to sign on, after the four Atlantic provinces, Ontario and Manitoba.
The agreements in principle are a first step to completing the $196-billion, 10-year health-care funding proposal that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made on Feb. 7.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Feb. 27, 2023.