Agreement includes quick cash for addressing excessive surgical wait times and pressing needs in emergency hospitals.

The federal government’s $27.47 billion offer to support health care in British Columbia has been accepted in principle by that province’s administration.

The deal is a step towards realizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s $196 billion, 10-year proposal for funding health care that he shared with the Canadian premiers last month.

The funding for British Columbia includes an immediate $273 million to deal with urgent needs, particularly in pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms as well as to deal with lengthy surgery wait times.

According to a news release from the federal government, B.C.’s goals include providing prompt access to high-quality health services, especially in rural and remote locations, as well as allowing citizens to access their own electronic health records.

A $3.32 billion bilateral agreement is part of the funding and will allow Canadians to age in place and have access to either at-home care or long-term care facilities.

The arrangement, according to B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix, will give the province access to even more life-saving services that are located nearby.

“When people make the crucial decision to ask for assistance, it is critical that services be offered to support them at every stage of their journey. That is why, according to Dix in the news release, “our government is continuing to make historic investments and add new supports to our mental health and drug use system of care.

Since the government declared a public health emergency in 2016, overdoses involving illicit drugs have claimed the lives of over 11,000 individuals in British Columbia.

The deal with British Columbia presents a chance to enhance the experience of healthcare providers and individuals they look after, according to federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos.

Our health care system will be modernized, access to family health services and mental health services will be improved, surgical backlogs will be decreased, and health professionals will receive support. A higher standard of care will enable British Columbians and Canadians to have longer, healthier lives, according to Duclos.

According to Ottawa, the provinces must develop detailed budgets for how they will use the funds and demonstrate that their healthcare systems are improving.

Trudeau gave the Canadian premiers an offer that includes immediate health transfers of $2 billion and yearly increases of 5% over the following five years, but only if each province agreed to conditions, such as improving health data gathering.

Only Quebec and the territories remain to formally commit to the federal health care funding arrangement after Wednesday’s B.C. statement.