The province is spending an extra 3.3-billion dollars more than what was budgeted for last year to protect the health care system during the health crisis.
The government is increasing the number of assessment centres, adding more acute care and critical care beds, improving testing and providing more protective equipment for frontline workers.
Finance Minister Rod Phillips says the new investments includes:
-Investing $935 million more in hospitals, including $594 million to continue working on expanding capacity and $341 million to prepare for COVID-19 with an additional 1,000 acute care and 500 critical care beds and to fund assessment centres.
-Increasing public health funding by $160 million to support COVID-19 monitoring and testing, including investments in virtual care and Telehealth Ontario.
-Investing $243 million for surge capacity in long-term care facilities, 24/7 screening of staff and visitors, more staffing to support infection control and additional supplies and equipment.
-Investing $75 million to supply personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies to frontline staff.
-$124 million for 90 transitional care projects.
-Dedicating $1 billion COVID-19 contingency fund, as part of the additional health care investments.
The extra funding also includes $2.1-billion to combat and contain the spread of coronavirus.
Phillips says “We are all so proud of the health care professionals on the frontlines of this global pandemic. They can be confident that, whatever happens, they will have the resources they need to protect the people of Ontario.”
Premier Doug Ford says he will do whatever it takes to take down COVID-19.
“We must spare no expense when it comes to supporting our health care workers. When it comes to protecting our families, protecting our Seniors. And we will spare no expense when it comes to protecting what we hold most dear.”
Ford says these investments are absolutely critical.
“Critical to increasing capacity in our health care system as we all do our part to flatten the curve. As we all do our part to reduce the burden on our health care system and those in the trenches.”
