I was pleased to announce on Monday that Manitoba had completed an agreement with the federal government that will see the province receive $399.6 million in support for mental health, homecare and community care over the next 10 years. $10.9 million of this funding will be available in the current year for these priorities with more than $7.27 being allocated to homecare and community care and $3.63 million being dedicated to mental health initiatives.
Importantly, Manitoba also negotiated additional support in the current year to battle the challenge of opioid addiction as well as chronic kidney disease which has a disproportionately high rate of occurrence in Manitoba.
Manitoba and the federal government have also committed to work on other common priorities. Both of our governments have agreed to work together to pursue improvements in healthcare service delivery for remote Indigenous communities, with particular emphasis on transportation and procurement challenges. I look forward to seeing this collaboration translate to better care and reduced costs for Manitobans.
While this bi-lateral agreement and the additional funding that comes with it is welcomed, it does not address the long-term sustainability of the healthcare system in Canada. At the beginning of our Medicare system in Canada it was a 50/50 partnership between provinces and the federal government. Today Manitoba is paying for 81% of the cost of healthcare in the province with the federal government paying only 19%.
Addressing this large funding gap and the threat to health services it creates, is essential. Despite the recent bi-lateral agreement, it represents a reduction in previously planned level of support for healthcare from Ottawa. In fact, over the next decade Manitoba will receive $2.25 billion less through the Canada Health Transfer than it would have under previous funding arrangements. We will continue to call on the federal government to join us in a true healthcare funding partnership that will protect the services that Manitobans rely upon.
While additional targeted funding to support health services for Manitobans is welcome, it is no substitute for a real partnership with the federal government when it comes to healthcare. Our government will continue to stand up for the people of Manitoba, by pressing the federal government to negotiate a real health accord with all provinces and territories that actually secures a strong, safe and sustainable health-care system for all Canadians. This is the commitment they made to all Canadians prior to the last federal election and we look forward to them fulfilling that commitment.
