Canada sinks $660 million into medical equipment

The government of Canada announced it will spend US$660 million over the next five years for new medical equipment, the bulk of which will be capital equipment items such as CT and MRI scanners. Half of the funds will be made available immediately.

These investments are part of an overall $15.7 billion five-year budget to support the so-called health renewal agreements between the federal and provincial governments.

Canada's medical devices industry association, MEDEC, welcomed the commitment. In a report, the Canadian Medical Association blasted the government health program.

"Canada ranks poorly when it comes to the availability of technology," the report said.

It also pointed out that Canada ranks 11th and 12th in the world, respectively, for MRI and CT scanners.