Health Canada, Facing Budget Cuts, Lays off Hundreds of Employees

Health Canada is facing the prospect of dire budget cuts after national austerity measures called for more than $5.2 billion to be cut from the Canadian federal budget, reports The Globe and Mail.

Health Canada is facing a budget shortfall of $200 million per year, and notified its staff in early April that it may need to lay off approximately 840 staff to close the gap.

Those staff reductions have reportedly already started, with notifications going out to 715 Health Canada employees on 11 April 2012, reports The Epoch Times.

The reductions may continue over the next few years, as the Canadian government looks to shed a total of 19,200 positions, reports The Globe and Mail.

It was unclear in either The Globe and Mail's report or The Epoch Times' report if the cuts would affect Health Canada's healthcare product regulatory staff.

Read more:

The Globe and Mail - CBC, Health Canada, National Defence face Conservative cuts

The Epoch Times - Federal Layoffs Announced, Employees Notified