OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The Canadian Medical Association (CMA) is pleased that the federal government listened to health care providers and patients and will maintain planned health spending increases in Budget 2025 with a commitment to invest $5 billion in health infrastructure like hospitals and medical clinics.
Canada's health care facilities are among the oldest public infrastructures in use today: almost 50% of health care facilities were built over 50 years ago. The infrastructure funding announced today is a step in the right direction to creating new health facilities and fixing up the aging hospitals and clinics that Canadians depend on.
We need capacity to train more health care professionals to staff those hospitals and clinics, including international graduates. The new Foreign Credential Recognition Action Fund is a positive step to improving Canada's health worker shortfall, but we can't stop there.
The CMA looks forward to collaborating with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the government on urgently needed initiatives from his campaign platform to improve health care, such as adding thousands of new doctors, scaling up team-based care, reducing unnecessary paperwork and enabling health professionals to work when and where they are needed.
Health care is not just a social program; it's an economic driver. A healthy population underpins productivity, innovation and growth. Investments in health care are investments in Canada's economic future and wellbeing. Total health spending in 2024 was $372 billion. Canada should be using this significant health spend to develop the new technologies and scientific breakthroughs we need to improve access to care, while strengthening the Canadian economy.
We remind all levels of government that there are other tangible steps that can be taken to improve health care in Canada at little to no long-term cost, such as improving how health data is collected and shared, enabling physicians to work across provincial and territorial borders, and ensuring accountability measures at the provincial and territorial level for the significant federal health transfers.
Dr. Margot Burnell
CMA President
SOURCE Canadian Medical Association
To schedule an interview or for further information, please contact: CMA Media Relations: [email protected], Yuliya Arutyunyan, 514-475-9732; Eric Lewis, 506-566-1671
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