HALIFAX — A Nova Scotia health official told a legislature committee today that virtual health care is “absolutely here to stay.”

Kim Barro, associate deputy minister of health, says virtual care has become an important access point for primary care and the province has no plans to gradually scale back its usage.

However, Barro says the province’s goal remains to connect every Nova Scotian to some form of primary care, either through a physician’s office or collaborative clinic.

She says it’s important for people to have access to a so-called “health home” where health professionals are familiar with a patient’s needs.

Dr. Colin Audain, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, told the committee that virtual care, managed through the province’s agreement with private provider Maple, is a bit of a “Band-Aid solution.”

But Audain says remote care is still an important access point for people who don’t have primary care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2024.

The Canadian Press