ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - There are a number of new measures announced regarding health-care in today’s provincial budget.
Health care represents the largest portion of the provincial budget at about $3 billion.
Under mental health, for instance, there is $6.1 million announced towards the replacement of the Waterford Hospital and to expand mental health community support services.
However, Health Minister John Haggie could not say that would be put towards a start to construction.
“The concept for this year is service redesign,” he said, when asked about the funding.
Haggie did highlight new spending to support something the Liberals have been talking about for years.
“What we need to do is move mental health and addictions services out into the community in a far more consistent way than we have done in the past. What we need to do now is move towards mental health beds across the province, towards community supported living initiatives and to looking at to how you support people in the communities with intellectual and physical disabilities in a way that hasn’t been done until recently.
“We have some work commissioned that will go ahead over this year to look at what those needs are. As part of that we will be moving to build a new mental health facility to serve the Avalon and the province, and we will make an announcement of the details of that later on, probably by the end of the week.”
Also in the health care portion of the budget:
• Another $1.7 million has been set aside to implement mobile crisis intervention teams province wide with the support of federal funding.
• $444,800 to support a dedicated intensive eating disorder unit at the Health Sciences Centre.
• $8 million for the ongoing development of the new west coast regional hospital.
• $6.2 million for the development of the Green Bay Health Centre in Springdale.
• $4 million for the expansion of the protective care unit at the Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre in Botwood.
• $3.7 million for the ongoing development of new long-term care homes in Gander and Grand Falls-Windsor.
• $3.2 million to support the development of new ambulatory care space at Carbonear General Hospital.
• $400,000 to continue construction of a new long-term care home in Corner Brook.
Full budget coverage:
- Newfoundland and Labrador struggles with debt, government forecasting surplus in 2022
- How the new Newfoundland and Labrador budget could affect you
- Budget 2018: Newfoundland and Labrador investing $2 billion in education, skill and childhood development
- Budget 2018: Disaster spending goes up in Newfoundland and Labrador