Provincial health ministers want funding commitment out of meeting with Michel

The federal health minister was in Calgary Friday to meet provincial and territorial health ministers with a number of topics at the table.

Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel met with her provincial and territorial counterparts in Calgary Friday, and was asked if Ottawa would boost health-care funding in next month’s budget.

Adriana LaGrange, Alberta’s minister of primary and preventative health services, says provinces and territories are facing increased demands on their health-care systems and the federal government needs to step up its support.

“With equitable and sustainable investment from the federal government, we can sustain, improve and transform our health-care systems to meet the needs of patients right across the country,” said LaGrange during a media availability following the health summit.

She says the provincial and territorial ministers are also hoping for commitments that Ottawa will move away from “one-size-fits-all” funding programs.

Michel commended the provinces and territories for individual successes but singled out Alberta for its approach to primary care and physician recruitment.

“The federal government is currently signing agreements with colleges for internationally educated health professionals. Alberta has been seeing many new foreign-trained doctors join their workforce,” said Michel.

Ottawa’s commitments to fund health care will be made clear with the tabling of the fall budget on Nov. 4.

With files from The Canadian Press