Trudeau and Kinew announce $633M investment to help improve Manitoba’s health-care system

WINNIPEG –

The Government of Canada is investing more than $633 million to help improve Manitoba’s health-care system, including bringing in more doctors and cutting down wait times.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Winnipeg on Thursday where he announced the funding will be provided through the ‘Working Together’ and ‘Aging with Dignity’ agreements. This includes about $434 million to support the province’s three-year action plan to improve health-care, and about $199 million for better home, community and long-term care for seniors.

Under the ‘Working Together’ agreement, Manitoba will work to fix the health-care system, including staffing shortages. This funding will help with the province’s goal of hiring 400 more doctors, 300 more nurses, 200 paramedics, and 100 home care workers. This will help to relieve the pressure on crowded emergency rooms and expand primary care options.

The Manitoba and federal Governments are also working to make it easier for internationally trained health-care professionals to work in the province, including removing barriers to foreign credential recognition, simplifying the licensing process, and increasing access to programs for educated health professionals.

Manitoba also plans to hire more psychologists to reduce wait times for counselling and increase hospital space for those needing treatment.

Under the ‘Aging with Dignity’ agreement, Manitoba will support seniors who want to age at home, in the community or in personal care homes. This involves hiring more long-term care workers and the creation of a seniors advocate, who will act as an independent voice for seniors and their families.

The federal and provincial governments will also work with Indigenous people to address inequities in Indigenous health-care services and improve access to culturally safe care.

This investment is part of the Government of Canada’s work to invest $200 billion to improve health-care through bilateral agreement with provinces and territories, as well as $5.4 billion for the ‘Aging with Dignity’ agreements.

More to come.

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