A healthcare deal between B.C. and the federal government that will give the province an immediate infusion of $273 million was announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier David Eby in Langley on Wednesday.

Trudeau announced an agreement in principle for a plan that will see Ottawa transfer $27.47 billion over 10 years to B.C., including $3.32 billion for a new bilateral agreement focused on shared health priorities.

sa国际传媒淓ach agreement will be tailored and flexible to the needs of each province and territory,sa国际传媒� Trudeau said. sa国际传媒淏ut consistent among all is the joint responsibility to collect information that monitors how the health care system is performing.sa国际传媒�

That includes the percentage of Canadians who have a family doctor, and the length of wait lists for surgery.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e doing this because what gets measured gets done,sa国际传媒� Trudeau said.

He also said the agreement moves towards getting foreign-trained doctors, nurses, and other health workers to get their credentials recognized or updated so they can work in the Canadian health systems.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e fast tracking immigration pathways for health care workers like nurses and doctors,sa国际传媒� Eby said, to get them sa国际传媒渙ff the sidelines and into the health care system.sa国际传媒�

Eby said that the federal funding is part of the provincesa国际传媒檚 plans, including new money announced in the B.C. budget on Feb. 28 for cancer care and mental health and addictions.

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sa国际传媒淭hese past few years have been incredibly difficult for health care workers,sa国际传媒� Eby said. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 been hard on British Columbians too.sa国际传媒�

He said the immediate $273 million is to go towards issues like the hospitals and ERs, including rural health facilities, that have been so understaffed they have had to close on the weekends or some nights.

The lack of family doctors and fears that people cansa国际传媒檛 get care quickly at ERs are problems theysa国际传媒檙e trying to address, Eby said.

The premier pointedly said that private care or a two-tier care system was not the way to go.

sa国际传媒淚t doesnsa国际传媒檛 shorten the line, it just changes whosa国际传媒檚 at front,sa国际传媒� Eby said.

The new deal ensures stable funding, he said, including targeted funding in areas like family health services in rural and remote areas, reducing backlogs, modernizing tracking health care data, addiction services, and home care and long-term care.

The province and Ottawa will now work on an initial three-year plan where the province and federal government will agree on timelines and detailed health targets.

Trudeau also announced that Saskatchewan has signed an agreement in principle as of Wednesday. Most provinces have now signed a deal with the federal government for the additional health funding.