Cabinet approves $31M to cover Health PEI, Department of Education costs

Cabinet approved an extra $31 million in special warrants for Health PEI and the Department of Education to continue operations.

Health PEIreceived $21.5 million from special warrants for the fiscal year ending in March 2017.

The agency spent almost $12 million for physician services both in and out of province, over $2.5 million on drugs and over $5.5 million on salaries.

Health PEIsaysit's been operating at a structural deficit in recent years because budget increases haven't kept pace with the cost of providing health care to Islanders.

Education spending

The Department of Education was the other recipient of special warrants from cabinet, totalling nearly $10 million.

The spending is related to capital construction costs for Three Oaks Senior High in Summersideand Ecole La-Belle-Cloche in Fortune Bridge.

Government said both projects exceeded initial estimates, primarily because of timing.

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