Canadian Provinces By The Number Of Hospital Establishments

The health care system in Canada is mainly determined by the country’s constitution, whereby the responsibilities and roles are divided among the federal, provincial, and territorial governments. Most of the responsibility of delivering health and social services lies with the provincial and the territorial government. The federal government is responsible for delivering some services to a certain group of citizens. Publicly funded health care is financed through the revenues raised by the federal, provincial and territorial taxes. Taxes may include sales tax, corporate tax, personal tax, payroll levies and other revenues. Provinces may also levy health premium on its residents to pay for the publicly funded health care services, however, non-payment of the premium may not limit access to the necessary health services. The Canadian province with the highest number of hospital establishments is Ontario. Other provinces that rank highly in the number of hospital establishments are Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.

Canadian Provinces With The Highest Number Of Hospitals

Ontario

Ontario has the highest number of hospital establishments and is also the highest populated province in Canada. It is so highly populated that approximately 40 percent of Canadians live in Ontario. The reason for the high population is that it hosts two major cities - Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, and Toronto, Canada’s most populous city. As of 2016, there were approximately 18,571 hospital beds in Ontario’s 463 health facilities. Despite the rising population in Ontario, the number of hospital beds has been on the decline over the years. This can be attributed to improvement in health technology which enables shorter stays in hospitals.

Quebec

Quebec has the second highest number of hospital establishments in Canada. The province has 272 hospitals which cater to approximately 8.3 million residents. Quebec has suffered overcrowding in its hospitals in the past few years. The hospitals receive a substantial number of patients particularly during the flu season soon after Christmas. In March 2016, the provincial administration of Quebec invested 100 million Canadian dollars to ease congestion in Quebec's hospitals.

British Columbia

Located on the western end of Canada, British Columbia has the third highest number of hospital establishments in the country. The province hosts 199 hospital facilities which cater to an estimated population of 4.8 million residents. The facilities provide emergency care, out-patient and in-patient services. The health authorities in British Columbia ensure the quality of healthcare provided in the hospitals is up to standard.

Alberta

Alberta has the fourth largest number of hospital establishments in Canada. It also ranks fourth in the list of most populous provinces of Canada. The province is home to 156 hospitals as per 2015 data. The province utilizes advanced technology such as video conferencing to provide health care to residents in remote regions. Alberta’s health officials encourage healthy lifestyles and preventive measures as a way of reducing health care costs.

Manitoba

Manitoba ranks as the fifth province in the list of highest number of hospital establishments in Canada. With an estimated population of 1.3 million residents, Manitoba is also the fifth most populous province in the country. As of 2015, Manitoba had 72 hospital facilities. The facilities are managed by boards that ensure that hospitals comply with the set regulations and provide quality services.

Advanced Technology In Hospitals In Canada

Most Canadian hospitals have adopted the latest technology in the provision of health care. The technology has led to improved services and efficiency in the health sector. Use of machines to perform surgery has resulted in faster and efficient services in Canadian hospitals. Patients recover faster from laser surgeries which mean they spend less time in the hospital. Equally, fewer people need to make trips to hospitals due to the availability of video conferencing facilities whereby patients have access to healthcare providers from the comfort of their homes. Use of technology in healthcare facilities has led to better services.