Canada’s health ministers meeting in Calgary to discuss funding, workforce
Global News
Federal, provincial and territorial health ministers are in Calgary for two days of meetings, with interprovincial credential recognition and funding agreements up for discussion.
Federal, provincial and territorial health ministers are in Calgary for two days of meetings, with interprovincial credential recognition and funding agreements up for discussion.
The office of federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel said she’s also hoping to discuss mental health and addiction issues and vaccination programs.
“The health ministers’ meeting will build on the renewed collaboration between the federal government, and provinces and territories to protect Canada’s health-care system,” Michel’s office said in a statement.
Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s minister of primary and preventative health services, is set to co-chair the meetings with Michel. LaGrange was set to hold a news conference with her counterparts Thursday afternoon.
In a statement, LaGrange’s office said she’s looking for federal commitments to existing health funding programs and strategies to address health-care worker shortages.
It said she’s also looking for a promise from Ottawa to give Alberta its “fair share” of funding for provincial pharmacare, without the province signing on to the national program.
Three provinces and one territory have so far have signed onto the program, which provides coverage for contraceptives and diabetes medication.
LaGrange has said she believes Alberta’s existing coverage plans are sufficient and that the province would like to see Ottawa use the funding to boost the provincial program instead.
