| Ministry overview | |
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| Jurisdiction | British Columbia |
| Headquarters | Victoria, British Columbia |
| Minister responsible |
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| Ministry executives |
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| Website |
Official website 
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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.
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. The Department of Health and Welfare was formally established on October 1, 1946, with George Pearson as the inaugural minister.
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
| Minister | Term start | Term end | Political party | Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister of Health | |||||
| Jim Nielsen | August 6, 1986 | November 6, 1986 | Social Credit | Vander Zalm | |
| Peter Dueck | November 6, 1986 | November 1, 1989 | Social Credit | ||
| John Jansen | November 1, 1989 | April 2, 1991 | Social Credit | ||
| April 2, 1991 | May 7, 1991 | Social Credit | Johnston | ||
| Bruce Strachan | May 7, 1991 | November 5, 1991 | Social Credit | ||
| Elizabeth Cull | November 5, 1991 | September 15, 1993 | New Democratic | Harcourt | |
| Paul Ramsey | September 15, 1993 | February 28, 1996 | New Democratic | ||
| Andrew Petter | February 28, 1996 | June 17, 1996 | New Democratic | G. Clark | |
| Joy MacPhail | June 17, 1996 | February 18, 1998 | New Democratic | ||
| Penny Priddy | February 18, 1998 | August 25, 1999 | New Democratic | ||
| August 25, 1999 | February 24, 2000 | New Democratic | Miller | ||
| Mike Farnworth | February 29, 2000 | November 1, 2000 | New Democratic | Dosanjh | |
| Corky Evans | November 1, 2000 | June 5, 2001 | New Democratic | ||
| Minister of Health Services | |||||
| Colin Hansen | June 5, 2001 | December 15, 2004 | Liberal | Campbell | |
| Shirley Bond | December 15, 2004 | June 16, 2005 | Liberal | ||
| Minister of Health | |||||
| George Abbott | June 16, 2005 | June 23, 2008 | Liberal | Campbell | |
| Minister of Health Services | |||||
| George Abbott | June 23, 2008 | June 10, 2009 | Liberal | Campbell | |
| Kevin Falcon | June 10, 2009 | November 30, 2010 | Liberal | ||
| Colin Hansen | November 30, 2010 | March 14, 2011 | Liberal | ||
| Minister of Health | |||||
| Mike de Jong | March 14, 2011 | September 5, 2012 | Liberal | C. Clark | |
| Margaret MacDiarmid | September 5, 2012 | June 10, 2013 | Liberal | ||
| Terry Lake | June 10, 2013 | June 12, 2017 | Liberal | ||
| Mary Polak | June 12, 2017 | July 18, 2017 | Liberal | ||
| Adrian Dix | July 18, 2017 | Incumbent | New Democratic | Horgan | |
| Eby | |||||
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.
See also
- E-Comm, 9-1-1 call and dispatch centre for Southwestern BC