Feds announce funding boost for First Nations health care

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This article was published 06/09/2018 (2897 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Federal Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott made a multimillion-dollar funding announcement Thursday at the Winnipeg offices of the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, related to regional First Nations-led health-care initiatives.

Ottawa is putting $68 million over the next three years into the initiatives. Of that, $42 million is earmarked for northern Manitoba, with $13.6 million to go to Saskatchewan First Nations, and the remaining $11.9 million to Ontario First Nations.

The funding builds on existing commitments and memorandums of understanding to support increased control for the design and delivery of First Nations-led health services by First Nations governments and health authorities, officials said.

“Some of the work has been done already by the chiefs in the north, to work towards their vision of what health-care transformation should look like,” Philpott said.

“We already have evidence from other jurisdictions, other provinces, about the success. People often point to the example of the British Columbia First Nations Health Authority, which, after a lengthy period of time, took over control of health care for First Nations. The evidence is there, that health outcomes have improved considerably. We are seeing across the country that communities are wanting to see this kind of transformation,” said the minister, who had a career as a medical doctor before she entered politics.

“Even just a few minutes ago, as the grand chief and I met with some of the chiefs, we heard from them that they want to deliver care in communities. It’s very costly and not always in the best interests for (residents) to always be having to travel outside their communities — and the kind of support being offered today will allow for care to be delivered closer to communities, and for the building of health entity in northern Manitoba to be built from the ground up.”

MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said the funding gives northern First Nations the opportunity and capacity to steer the future of health care for their people.

“We in the North, who live in the North, know our own reality and how to bring change and we know what the needs are — and if you give us that capacity, we will be able to serve our people better,” he said.

MKO released a thick document, years in the making, which sets out plans for health-care services in the North and identifies critical gaps in services to be filled.

Recruiting more doctors, creating training initiatives to build a pool of First Nations health professionals, and the establishing a health entity to organize and steer the growth of a northern health-care system are three of the priorities set out in the 120-plus page Clinical Care Transformation Toolkit.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca