B.C., Ottawa ink $426M health-care deals

Ottawa is providing $426 million to support heath care inBritishColumbia.

A statement from Health Canada says $232 million will flow through an "aging with dignity agreement" to help pay the salaries of nearly 13,000 health-care assistants in public long-term care and assisted living facilities over the next five years.

That agreement was first struck in February and Health Canada says the funding extends the deal through to 2029.

The remaining $194 million is being provided through an agreement to helpB.C. expand access to drugs used to treat rare diseases.

The funding is part of close to $200 billion set aside for health care over 10 years in the 2023 budget, including $46.2 billion in new funding for provinces and territories.

Health Minister Mark Holland announced the latest funding inVancouveralongside hisB.C. counterpart, Adrian Dix.

Dix saysB.C.'s agreements with Ottawa will raise wages and benefits for health-care assistants and contribute to a more equitable health-care system overall.

The Hospital Employees' Union, which represents22,000 care aides,cheeredthe dealin a statement on Tuesday.

"For the past several years, we have been advocating for permanent standardized caring and working conditions across seniors' care," saidLynn Bueckert, the union's secretary business manager."This will help protect quality care for our seniors and create a more sustainable long-term care sector going forward."

Health Canada says the funding for drugs for rare diseases meansB.C. residents will be able to access the drugs Poteligeo, used to treat Sezary syndrome, and Oxlumo, which treats hyperoxaluria type 1.

The department says more drugs will be added to the list as the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance concludes its price negotiations for each one.