Alfred Moses

Thank you. Then just moving into another area under the population health division in the area of health promotion, intervention. With the Health Promotion Fund… Sorry; I’m moving all over the place. Sorry. No further questions there, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madam Chair. In terms of directorate here, I’m just looking at the policy communications and legislation. I just want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services if there is a plan in place to create a translator program within the regional health centres to bring some of our patients from small communities into the regional hospital or even territorial hospital. If there is a translator program in place for all the Aboriginal languages in the Northwest Territories, ones that are specific to that region, Can the Minister please answer that?

Thank you. The Minister just mentioned that he knows enough in the report to move forward on what the report is saying. The report is saying we need a community-based midwifery report. I mean, if he knows enough to move forward on that, why aren’t we doing that and we’re going into consultation where the consultation is all done in this report? So it really makes me wonder about that.

Can the Minister kind of confirm why dollars are being spent in regulations and standards when our previous Minister of Health has this signed off on the standards of practice for registered midwives? Can the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services following up on my Member’s statement with what residents have been asking for, and one in particular is with the Midwifery Program and dollars that are being allocated for this program here that was a suggestion brought forth by Members of the Assembly. I’m just wondering what the intention of dollars that are being allocated for this Midwifery Program, where they are going to be allocated and what the intention is of those dollars. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we’re proceeding into the budget dialogue process, I’d like to refer back to the budget dialogue report that the Minister of Finance and his little tour that he went on through the Northwest Territories listening to our residents. Actually, I want to focus on three main areas that were discussed and addressed under the Health portfolio.

I won’t get into some of the detailed comments that my colleague went into earlier, but one was the investment in treatment programs and for mental illness, something that this side of the House has been fighting for ever since we...

I think, in terms of this, the right to the second medical opinion, I feel that, you know, we possibly could get ourselves in some hot water if we don’t have that right now, in terms of some people not being diagnosed properly or not being diagnosed at all and continue to… Some Members have stated in this House during question period, they go to the health centres and they’re just given some Tylenol to go home when there are bigger concerns. I think the longer we wait, we’re doing a disservice to the residents of the NWT.

As the Minister knows, we do have challenges in securing doctors...

With the little time I have left here, and looking in terms of policy and legislation, and the Minister alluded to it yesterday in his opening response to the general comments, but that was in terms of the second medical opinion and the right to have a second medical opinion, I wanted to get an update from the Minister on whether they’re going to be pursuing this, where they are in terms of providing that right to a second medical opinion for our residents.

I look forward to seeing the results of that pilot project.

Under the policy area, under the directorate, would the Minister be willing to look at the policy right now for the Health Promotion Fund? I’m not sure if I should bring it under here or program services, but since it is under the directorate and they cover policy, would the Minister look at the policy for the Health Promotion Fund, and instead of having a one-year contribution agreement, would he be willing to make it a multi-year policy to reflect successful programs that we have in the small communities and the regions?

The Minister mentioned that some jobs have the translator services built into their positions and duties. Are those extra responsibilities funded on top of their job duties, and if there are already positions in place where people have the opportunity to be translators, can he supply committee with all the hospitals and regional centres or health centres that do provide translator services in the Northwest Territories so that we know who to speak to and we know which hospitals and health centres actually provide that service?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been a long week and I came into the House this morning pretty tired and I needed something to wake me up, and I’m really glad the Minister’s statement did wake me up here, yup. There’s a lot of savings, this investment that we’re doing into midwives, and I’m really concerned about what the Minister just said in terms of cost-savings measures. There’s so many different cost savings, so many benefits. I’d like to ask the Minister where the report is and where does he get his findings from to justify and confirm what he just previously said in his statement. Thank...