Trudeau announces hiring of 7,500 new family doctors and nurses if re-elected

Justin Trudeau Photo: Twitter

A re-elected Liberal government will move forward to eliminate the health care waitlists, hire 7,500 family doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners, and expand virtual care, Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced on Monday.

The Liberals said Trudeau and their team had Canadians’ backs during COVID-19. Eight out of every 10 dollars spent in response to COVID-19 came from the Liberal government. They said that now, as they work to build a healthier and safer Canada, they will create a better health care system for everyone.

“Together, we’ve done whatever it takes to keep Canadians safe and healthy by supporting our health care system during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Trudeau. “But we can’t stop there. Canadians need better access to our health care system and a family doctor. We need bold action, and we have a real plan to make it happen.”

To create a healthier Canada for all Canadians, a re-elected Liberal government will work with the provinces and territories to rebuild the health care system by:

  • Helping to hire a minimum of 7,500 family doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners;
  • Supporting the elimination of health system waitlists that have worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic; and
  • Expanding virtual health care services to make it easier for Canadians to access our health care system.

A re-elected Liberal government will also invest in the recruitment of a broad range of health professionals to rural and remote regions of the country, by increasing student loan forgiveness and helping them set up a practice in these communities.

The Liberals said that this plan will build on their recent commitment to work with the provinces and territories to deliver better care for seniors. It also builds on the leadership of the Liberal government to keep Canadians safe, healthy, and supported through the pandemic, including:

  • Procuring an extensive portfolio of vaccines early on, so that every eligible Canadian could be vaccinated by July 2021 — two months ahead of schedule;
  • Improving access to virtual care during the pandemic, including through the Wellness Together Canada portal, which more than 1.2 million Canadians used in its first year; and
  • Providing a one-time top-up to the Canada Health Transfer and Safe Restart Agreement, and moving forward on pharmacare.

“To make our health care system works better for everyone, and to create a healthier Canada, we need to rebuild,” said Trudeau.” Erin O’Toole’s Conservatives tried to stand in our way as we supported Canadians through the pandemic and now he wants to bring private, for-profit healthcare to Canada. We can’t let him cut services like health care. We have to keep moving forward — for everyone.”

Backgrounder: Making Sure Every Canadian Has Access to a Family Doctor or Primary Health Team

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