A plan to replace five government-owned seniors care manors on P.E.I. was the highlight of new health spending announced in Wednesday's budget.

Health Minister Doug Currie says no decision has been made on how the seniors care manors will be financed.
(CBC)

The government said it plans to spend $22 million more on health this year. The new spending brings health expenditures to $398 million, keeping their proportion of overall provincial costs steady at about 30 per cent.

Some of that new money will go to replacing the seniors care facilities in Charlottetown and Summerside. The province intends to replace three other manors in the next five years. There are also plans to modernize Island hospitals, which combined with manor replacement will take up $18 million of the new spending.

Members of the Hospice Palliative Care Association of P.E.I. were outside the legislature to thank Health Minister Doug Currie after the budget speech, both for the replacement of the manors and for a promise of $275,000 for programs to assist people who wish to die at home.

But some people are worried the government intends to finance the new manors through private-public partnerships, and don't believe "three-P" financing is an appropriate way for governments to deliver health care. Currie said none of those decisions have been made yet.

"All public manors that are presently existing in this province will continue to remain as public manors," he said.

"I know the three-P discussion is on the table, and right now it's simply a discussion. There's been no commitments to go in any direction at this point."

Cancer society praises focus

The P.E.I. division of the Canadian Cancer Society is praising the government for committing an additional $2 million to improve cancer prevention and treatment.

Cancer society director Dawn Binns is looking forward to implementation of the colorectal cancer screening program.
(CBC)

That includes a new colorectal screening program, more money for mammography screening and $800,000 for new digital mammography equipment, and $500,000 for new cancer drugs.

In addition, the government is devoting $2 million to reduce waiting times for radiation therapy.

Dawn Binns, executive director of the P.E.I. branch of the Canadian Cancer Society, is looking forward to finding out more about the colorectal screening program.

"There are different models that are being used across the country, and really the assessment over the next little while will be what's the best one in P.E.I.," said Binns.

"Is it physician based? Is it community based? But really what we're looking for is more Islanders getting screened, fewer people being diagnosed with colorectal cancer because we can find it early, and people's lives being saved."

Binns said the extra money for cancer drugs is good news, but hopes government can go further to help people pay for the medicine they need. The government is looking at an overhaul of the province's drug programs, which provide drugs for seniors and people on social assistance.

There was also good news for diabetics. Starting this fall, the government said, it will cover the cost of diabetic strips for all Islanders.