REGINA Record spending is reported in Saskatchewan’s health sector in the 2021-22 Provincial Budget. The Government of Saskatchewan has allocated $6.54 billion, a $359 million or 5.8 per cent increase from the 2020-21 budget. Health accounts for 38.2 per cent of the government’s total expenses. The 2021-22 budget for the Ministry of Health is $6.12 billion, an increase of $261 million of 4.5 per cent from the last budget. This increase makes this budget the largest ever allocated to the Ministry of Health, as well as the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. For the second year the province has allocated millions to its COVID-19 response. It cited vaccine rollouts, personal protective equipment (PPE), contact tracing, COVID-19 testing, enhanced lab capacity and support for long-term care as major pandemic-related expenses for the health sector.