Saskatchewan has set aside a record $4.8 billion for health care in this year’s budget, but health regions will be expected to trim spending.
Spending on health has increased 3.5 per cent in this year’s provincial budget and 41 per cent over the past six years.
Funding for health regions will rise 4.5 per cent to $3 billion, while the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency will receive a $12 million increase.
But while their budgets will be bigger, health regions and the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency have been told to find $54 million in efficiencies this year.
The government says cost-saving measures will include administrative cuts, staff attendance management and efforts to reduce lost time due to injuries premium pay and sick time.
Saskatchewan Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the government is continuing to work toward its goal of reducing wait times for surgery to no longer than three months by April 2014.
A $10 million increase in funding for the Saskatchewan Surgical Initiative will allow health regions to perform an additional 7,000 surgeries this year.
An additional $2 million is earmarked in this year’s budget to double the number of post-graduate training seats for physicians to 120.
Capital spending will total $163.9 million this year, up 129 per cent from 2012. That figure includes $50 million to replace Moose Jaw Union Hospital, $11 million for medical equipment and $1.3 million in funding toward a new helipad at the Regina General Hospital.
The government will spend $23.6 million to improve health services in rural Saskatchewan. Of that, $10.6 million will go to the Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society (STARS).
A recently announced initiative to lower the cost of some generic drugs starting in April is expected to save the government $20 million in 2013.
