The 2023 budget is touted as having the province’s largest investment in healthcare ever. VOCM legislative reporter Richard Duggan breaks down where the money is going.
Government plans on spending $3.9 billion on healthcare this year, a $300 million increase from 2022. $104 million of that comes from the federal government.
A total of $23 million is going towards recruitment and retention initiatives, including $7.6 million for pilot to recruit physicians for difficult-to-fill-positions, $1 million to support new family physicians in setting up primary care clinics, $700,000 for a pilot to address HR challenges, $500,000 for a program to help educated nurses re-enter the workforce as registered nurses, and added capacity for MUN’s medical programs.
$9 million has been allocated for the province to begin consolidating 60 separate road ambulance services into a single, integrated service with centralized dispatch.
Funding has also been set aside for a continuous glucose monitoring program.
The province is funding Flexible Assertive Community Treatment Teams at a cost of $4.4 million annually to help address mental health needs.
Under healthcare infrastructure, $50 million is going towards renovations and new equipment at healthcare facilities, $13 million for the Health Science Centre ER renovations, $7.8 million for the new Cardiovascular and Stroke Institute and the new St. Clare’s – included in that is the demolition of the old Grace Hospital Nursing Residence.
As well, a new long-term care facility is planned for the Bay St. George Region, and a new school of nursing on the West Coast.
Elsewhere, $800,000 has been dedicated to improved operating room capacity at the Janeway, $1.8 million for travelling orthopedic teams and same day hip and knee replacements, $1 million increase to the Medical Transportation Program which will now be administered through the Standalone Department of Labrador Affairs, a new medical flight specialist team for Happy Valley-Goose Bay, half a million dollars for access to maternal care through the implementation of province-wide midwifery services, and $1 million for nursing recruitment in India.
