Trudeau tells health minister he has money but wants results

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The federal government plans to invest more in healthcare, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says it also needs to allow Canadians to see the results of the improved system.

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Prime Minister Trudeau made the comments today in Montreal ahead of a two-day meeting in Vancouver of Canada’s federal, territorial and provincial health ministers.

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The prime minister said the government had pledged to invest “substantially” in health care, pointing to a recent statement from the president of the Canadian Medical Association that it makes no sense to put any more money into a broken system. do not have.

He said the government wants people to have access to primary care physicians and mental health services, and knows that emergency rooms are open when children need them.

The meeting in Vancouver will be the first time since 2018 that all Canadian health ministers will meet in person.

The two prime ministers met in July to ask the federal government to increase healthcare transfers from 22% funding to 35%.

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Prime Minister Trudeau says health care delivery needs to improve for Canadians.

“Yes, we are out there with more money, but more investment in healthcare will ultimately support the people on the front lines, the nurses and doctors who bring that healthcare to Canadians. And we need to see what Canadians are feeling… a result of our healthcare system.”

BC Health Minister Adrian Dix said the state is working to address nurse and doctor shortages, improve access to digital health care, and strengthen mental health and substance use services related to the toxic drug crisis. , said they needed extra cash.

The Canadian Medical Association, the Canadian Nurses Association, and HealthCareCAN, which represents various organizations and hospitals, also joined forces ahead of this week’s meeting to ask health ministers to address staffing shortages, burnout, and other ailments plaguing the system. Urged to work on urgent solutions.