The finance minister says the province has yet to decide exactly how the $27 million share Newfoundland and Labrador will receive to help alleviate surgical backlogs will be spent.

Siobhan Coady was responding to concerns raised by the NLMA, which questioned how surgical backlogs can be addressed with a shortage of health care professionals and operating facilities. NLMA President Dr. Susan MacDonald expressed a desire to get public input on how best the money can be spent.

Coady says it’s still far too early to say exactly how the money will be directed.

She says the province just received notification about the funding, which is expected to be received by 2022-23.