Mr. Speaker, today in Halifax the Minister of Health, together with Nova Scotia Health Minister Jim Smith, announced some important initiatives for the future of health care in Nova Scotia and all of Canada.
Funded under the health transition fund, these four projects will be testing ways to improve primary health care to enhance the health of children and youth in Nova Scotia, to pilot palliative home care in rural areas and to develop a new model for primary care in the Eskasoni First Nations community. Total funding for these projects will be $4.8 million.
The common thread through all of these projects is that they put the patient first by organizing health services around the needs of people instead of the needs of the system.
In the spirit of co-operation that is guiding our efforts, these projects will be managed in partnership with the Nova Scotia ministries of health, education, community services and justice, the Prince Edward Island department of health and social services, Health Canada, Dalhousie University and the Eskasoni First Nation reserve.
These projects will generate evidence based information to help provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place.