sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½

Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

How many doctors are there in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½? Government announces projects to find out

OTTAWA — The federal government has answered years-long calls from doctors and nurses to tally and research the number of health workers in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ with a $47 million funding announcement.
e149dfb8-df47-434e-a7ab-9ea74a6c3fdb
The government has answered years-long calls from doctors and nurses to tally and research the number of health workers in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ with a $47 million funding announcement.A patient has her blood pressure checked by a registered nurse in Plainfield, Vt. on June 6, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Toby Talbot

OTTAWA — The federal government has answered years-long calls from doctors and nurses to tally and research the number of health workers in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ with a $47 million funding announcement.

The money is being divided among research groups that aim to collect and study data on sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½'s health workforce, which has been difficult to gather across provincial health systems.

The largest sum, $22.5 million, is being given to the an arm of the Canadian Institute for Health Information to figure out where gaps are in the workforce.

The government also announced that it would give $13 million to the Medical Council of sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ to expand a national physician database of doctors in sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.

That registry includes doctors' credentials, specialties and locations, and the group hopes it will serve as a first step toward making physician credentials portable within sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½.

Doctors and nurses have been urgently calling for federal leadership on the health workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic, when shortages led to long waitlists, emergency room closures and incredible stress for health professionals on the job.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 11, 2024.

The Canadian Press