How many doctors does Canada have? Feds to fund research to find answer – National [Video]

The federal government has answered years-long calls from doctors and nurses to tally and research the number of health workers in Canada with a $47 million funding announcement.

The money is being divided among research groups that aim to collect and study data on Canada’s health workforce, which has been difficult to gather across provincial health systems.

The largest sum, $22.5 million, is being given to the an arm of the Canadian Institute for Health Information to figure out where gaps are in the workforce.

The government also announced that it would give $13 million to the Medical Council of Canada to expand a national physician database of doctors in Canada.

That registry includes doctors’ credentials, specialties and locations, and the group hopes it will serve as a first step toward making physician credentials portable within Canada.

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