Premier Horgan and his western and territorial counterparts want the federal government to open the purse strings to improve health care

Premier John Horgan says he and his western and territorial counterparts want the federal government to open the purse strings to improve health care.

Horgan, who is at the Western Premiers Conference underway in Saskatchewan, says health-care services are not sustainable as the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

He says provinces want a 28-billion-dollar boost in health transfers, pushing the federal share of health-care costs to 35 per cent from the current 22 per cent.

Health-care issues launched the conference this morning but the premiers and territorial leaders are also scheduled to discuss everything from economic recovery and energy security to labour and immigration, with another news conference slated for later today.