Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Madam Chair. This is a relatively new section for committee. This is probably the first time committee has had a chance to digest the way it’s been categorized and some of the new, I guess, descriptions within this activity summary, so I’ll start off with this. To the department: What was the rationalization for doing it? What was the desired outcome? Then, in responding to that, maybe if I could get a breakdown in terms of physicians outside the NWT and specialty clinics, sorry, physicians outside the NWT and out-of-town hospitals. If I could get more of a descriptor than we have...

I will try not to sound blunt here. I’ve heard this song and dance before and so have many Members of the House. It’s not as if I am displeased, knowing we are striving and dealing with capacity issues and trying to find individuals and work on cross-departmental solutions. The fact remains is we’re still not able to provide that level of primary first-language service in a lot of our communities.

What I haven’t heard the Minister indicate is we are using technology. By technology, I mean just the simple fact of having an app with easy pictures, body parts where the pain is in conjunction with...

Yes, Madam Chair. I’m referring to the CIHI, which they have, again, 32 national base indicators which we are, from what I’m informed, we do participate with.

I do appreciate where the Minister is coming from. If he’s frustrated, I can tell you that you times that by 10 and I think you’ll see where Members are today here. We applaud the work in trying to make things more detailed and more simplistic to match parameters, but given the format of today, it is posed to be very problematic.

Last question. Last year the subject of oral health became of great debate and it was around the sunset of a federal funding initiative on children’s oral health care to the tune of $468,000. At that time, committee felt very strongly that oral health was an initiative...

I appreciate the Minister’s reply to that. As also mentioned, and in keeping the overarching issue, the directorate is in mind when I’m asking this question, the question of the performance indicators. Again, we have a national agreement to maintain and report on 32 of these so-called comparables, national comparables across Canada. Does the Minister foresee that that will be in full effect during this fiscal year and will this reporting be available publicly by residents? Thank you.

So, if I’m following the money correctly and if I’ve heard correctly here today, about $800,000 has been put aside for mobile treatment, or at least the establishment of mobile treatment. Can the Minister indicate where that $800,000 is in this new budget structure?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, I guess the question is, and the answer is, we’re still going to be waiting here.

Can the Minister indicate, what is the department’s plan to deal with those residents who failed to qualify for supplementary health benefits, who cannot afford their prescriptions for medical devices, who are left high and dry with Health Canada, especially for patients like Patrick Kuptana in Tuktoyaktuk? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. I have two questions and both of them, really, come under the category of grants and contributions, especially contributions. The next page obviously breaks down that contribution in terms of the different types of funds and programs. One of particular interest to me is the mental health and addictions, which is at $1 million, and the unaligned healing, which is a $225,000. Sorry, mental health and addictions at $625,000 and unaligned healing at $1 million. Given the nature of the day when the majority of Members here spent a large part of our day...

Thank you. Speaking about committee discussion, last year the Standing Committee on Social Programs recommended a comprehensive policy review of the Supplementary Health Benefits program, along with a proper appeals process.

Can the Minister indicate to the House why this has not been completed? Thank you.

I’ll accept that offer from the Minister. The number, aside in terms of what that percentage is, is notwithstanding and we’ll get that number later as promised. The question is we know that there’s a cost to no-show rates. What is the department doing specifically to the speciality clinics in order to mitigate and lessen the burden on our health care system on narrowing the gap of no-show rates?