QUÉBEC, March 25, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The government devoted considerable effort to support the health care system during the first two waves of the pandemic, and it continues to do so in Budget 2021‑2022 by announcing investments of more than $10.3 billion over five years in order to extend the measures announced since March 2020 to overcome the public health crisis and enhance health care and services for Quebecers.
Overcoming the public health crisis
To overcome the public health crisis, more than $7.0 billion in additional investments, including $2.3 billion this year, will be dedicated to acknowledging the efforts of health care workers, ensuring that they have all the equipment they need, enhancing the services offered to the population and health workers, and improving health care in a long‑lasting manner.
The government is also pursuing its plan to gradually replace CHSLDs with seniors' homes, which offer more pleasant living environments and are better tailored to seniors' needs.
Strengthening services for seniors and improving home care
Seniors want to stay in their homes for as long as possible. In order to do that, they need to be able to rely on home care services that meet their needs. To that end, Budget 2021‑2022 includes nearly $2.0 billion in investments over the next five years, including $317 million as of this year, to improve home care by increasing the services available to the public, ensuring sustainable services in private seniors' residences (PSRs) and enhancing the refundable tax credit for home‑support services for seniors. Funding will also be allocated to strengthening care and services in CHSLDs, as well as to improving the quality of life of informal caregivers.
Enhancing health care and services for Quebecers
In addition to initiatives aimed at responding to the pandemic, the government is committed to ensuring access to quality care and services for Quebecers in the coming years. Investments totalling more than $1.3 billion over the next five years, including $264 million as of this year, will help improve access to frontline services, better meet the needs of vulnerable persons, increase mental health services and strengthen services for youth in difficulty.
Quotation:
"Including the initiatives presented in the November 2020 budget update, the government is investing more than $15 billion to bolster our health care system. The government is taking action to both overcome the public health crisis and strengthen services in a sustainable way. These major changes will have a lasting impact on the health care and services available to all Quebecers."
Eric Girard, Québec's Minister of Finance
Related link:
All the details on Budget 2021‑2022: http://www.budget.finances.gouv.qc.ca/budget/2021-2022/index_en.asp.
View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2021/25/c6058.html 
