Dealing with the influx of patients relocated to the North because of last summer’s Cariboo wildfires cost Northern Health $4 million, according to the monthly budget update provided to Monday’s board meeting.
There is, however, some good news for the budget. Northern Health has received verbal assurances from the Ministry of Health that the amount will be covered by the province, according to the report.
Year-to-date as of October 5, Northern Health’s revenue was $1.3 million more than budgeted. The bad news is that expenditures are also up, $2.6 million over budget. Most of the increased expenditures are in acute care.
That left Northern Health, as of October, $1.3 million in the red.
However, Northern Health is forecasting to be in a balanced position on base operations at year end.
