Ministry of Health (British Columbia)

The Ministry of Health is a department of the Government of British Columbia which oversees the provincial healthcare system. It manages services including the Medical Services Plan, HealthLinkBC, and the PharmaCare program.

British Columbia Ministry of Health
Ministry overview
JurisdictionBritish Columbia
HeadquartersVictoria, British Columbia
Minister responsible
Ministry executives
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

The majority of health services are delivered through partnerships with health authorities, physicians and other health professionals. The ministry works with five regional health authorities (Fraser Health, Interior Health, Island Health, Northern Health and Vancouver Coastal Health) and one province-wide health authority (the Provincial Health Services Authority), which is responsible for specialized health services. It also supports the role of the provincial health officer, whose office is house within the ministry.

Adrian Dix has been Minister of Health since June 18, 2017.

History

On February 21, 1946, the government announced plans to establish a separate department for health; until then, health policy had been the purview of the provincial secretary.[1] The Department of Health and Welfare was formally established on October 1, 1946, with George Pearson as the inaugural minister.[2]

During the first term of the Gordon Campbell government, a separate Ministry of Health Planning was created (led by Sindi Hawkins) but that ministry was later merged back into the main ministry. During the same period, there were also two ministers of State: one for seniors and another for mental health and addictions.

List of ministers
List of ministers
Minister Term startTerm end Political party Premier
Minister of Health
Jim Nielsen August 6, 1986November 6, 1986   Social Credit Vander Zalm
Peter Dueck November 6, 1986November 1, 1989   Social Credit
John Jansen November 1, 1989April 2, 1991   Social Credit
April 2, 1991May 7, 1991   Social Credit Johnston
Bruce Strachan May 7, 1991November 5, 1991   Social Credit
Elizabeth Cull November 5, 1991September 15, 1993   New Democratic Harcourt
Paul Ramsey September 15, 1993February 28, 1996   New Democratic
Andrew Petter February 28, 1996June 17, 1996   New Democratic G. Clark
Joy MacPhail June 17, 1996February 18, 1998   New Democratic
Penny Priddy February 18, 1998 August 25, 1999   New Democratic
August 25, 1999February 24, 2000   New Democratic Miller
Mike Farnworth February 29, 2000November 1, 2000   New Democratic Dosanjh
Corky Evans November 1, 2000June 5, 2001   New Democratic
Minister of Health Services
Colin Hansen June 5, 2001December 15, 2004   Liberal Campbell
Shirley Bond December 15, 2004June 16, 2005   Liberal
Minister of Health
George Abbott June 16, 2005June 23, 2008   Liberal Campbell
Minister of Health Services
George Abbott June 23, 2008 June 10, 2009   Liberal Campbell
Kevin Falcon June 10, 2009November 30, 2010   Liberal
Colin Hansen November 30, 2010March 14, 2011   Liberal
Minister of Health
Mike de Jong March 14, 2011September 5, 2012   Liberal C. Clark
Margaret MacDiarmid September 5, 2012June 10, 2013   Liberal
Terry Lake June 10, 2013June 12, 2017   Liberal
Mary Polak June 12, 2017 July 18, 2017   Liberal
Adrian Dix July 18, 2017 Incumbent   New Democratic Horgan
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Health activities

On April 30, 2020, the Ministry published guidance alongside the BC Centre for Disease Control on interpreting the results of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.[3]

See also
  • E-Comm, 9-1-1 call and dispatch centre for Southwestern BC

References
  1. "Gov't Welfare Program laid Before MLA's". Vancouver Sun. 1946-02-21. pp. A1.
  2. "Charles Banks Becomes B.C.'s Lieut.-Governor". The Province. 1946-10-01. pp. A1. Immediately after taking office, His Honor officiated at the swearing-in of Provincial Secretary Geroge Pearson as minister of health and welfare, a post created by the lisgislation passed at the 1946 session.
  3. "Interpreting the results of Nucleic Acid Amplification testing (NAT; or PCR tests) for COVID-19 in the Respiratory Tract" (PDF). BC Centre for Disease Control. 2020-04-30. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-04-26. Retrieved 2022-04-26.
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