N.L. pledges to look outside of U.S. for medical supplies, with possibility to restart manufacturing at home

Less medical supplies from the United States will come into Newfoundland and Labrador, according to Municipal and Provincial Affairs Minister John Haggie, who is handling the health portfolio while John Hogan makes a decision on running for provincial Liberal leadership.

The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods. 

"There's a lot of untangling going on," Haggie said Wednesday in the House of Assembly.

Haggie says he wrote to Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services about its procurement of American products as soon as he took over the role.

"The last time I was in this portfolio, there are 400,000 or thereabouts items in the inventory dictionary for Meditech, so there's a bit of work to be done," he said.

During the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, the province made its own protective equipment. Haggie wants to bring back that manufacturing.

"That's kind of been mothballed. So the other thread is to see, can we revive that again, stimulate local economy and also meet a need," he said, adding that not all equipment will be easy to outsource from the United States.

"From my background in surgery, particularly cardiac surgery, some of these prostheses are pretty well sole-sourced from the states."

American doctors will also be challenging to replace.

PC health critic Barry Petten questioned the governing Liberals during question period about their contract with Teladoc, an American telemedicine provider that offers virtual primary care and a virtual emergency room. 

"While I appreciate the symbolism of Jack Daniel's being pulled off the liquor store shelves, the dollar value is actually minute," he said. "Has the government replaced the $22 million contract with Teladoc?"

Haggie later told reporters that Teladoc is part of the province's procurement review. 

"That's one of the things we can certainly look at," he said. "I think that some of Teledoc employees are actually Canadians."

And as the province examines procurement and works to address the tariff situation with the United States, the governing Liberals are trying to pass an interim supply bill. This legislation is introduced every year to keep the government running until the provincial budget is passed.