Ottawa giving province $6M to hire up to 90 family doctors for rural, northern communities

The federal government is giving Manitoba up to $6 million toward the goal of hiring as many as 90 more family doctors over the next three years.

The funds will be used to expand Manitoba’s practice-ready assessment program, which provides an accelerated licensing pathway for internationally trained physicians who are eligible, to add doctors in rural and northern communities.

“Every single Manitoban deserves to know that, no matter where they live, they have access to quality care,” provincial Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said at a news conference in Winnipeg alongside federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel.

“We know that for rural and northern communities, that means having a doctor not only available, but it means having that doctor available at the right time.”

Michel said Ottawa has been working with provinces, territories, colleges and regulators to accelerate accreditation for internationally trained doctors and nurses to enter Canada’s workforce.

With the funding, as many as 90 new family doctors will be ready to work in Manitoba by 2028-29, she said.

“This will help boost access to health care in the province, especially in rural, remote and Indigenous communities,” Michel said.

The announcement came as federal, provincial and territorial health ministers prepare to discuss funding during meetings in Winnipeg on Thursday and Friday.

Annual federal funding of $1.2 billion for home and community care, and mental-health and substance-use services is set to end March 31, with additional agreements scheduled to expire in the coming years.

Asagwara, the provincial and territorial health minister lead, warned Oct. 1 some services Manitobans rely on could be at risk if Ottawa cuts funding.

Provincial and territorial ministers want the federal Liberals to renew the funding and maintain at least five per cent annual growth in the Canada Health Transfer after March 2028. The transfer, which uses a per capita formula, is designed to provide long-term funding for health care.

Associations that represent Canada’s doctors and nurses, including Doctors Manitoba, said Wednesday they stand with provinces and territories in their call for funding certainty.

The associations asked provincial and territorial health ministers to back their call for the Carney government to “swiftly” pass separate pieces of legislation.

One bill would make it easier for doctors, nurses and patients to access digital records across different tech platforms, health facilities and jurisdictions.

The other would ban social media accounts for kids under 16 unless platforms have sufficient safeguards in place.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca