David Ramsay

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It doesn’t get much more vague than they’re just waiting for a part. I’d asked the Minister a specific question: what part are they waiting for and why is it taking so long?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It sounds like surgeries are being cancelled because the hospital is waiting for parts. I’d like to think it has nothing to do with increased rates of post-operative infection, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister: have we seen an increase in post-operative infections at that hospital going back the last four months? Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, June was eight months ago. I’m wondering, if I could, to the Minister: when did the hospital become aware of the deficiencies with that equipment and once the deficiencies were found, were operations still conducted, were surgeries still conducted at that hospital in light of the findings of that report in June? Thank you.

I’m just wondering whether or not the department did any analysis on the increase to taxes on alcohol and tobacco and if the Minister could share that analysis with the committee.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to speak today about the status of the sterilization equipment located at Stanton Territorial Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to get an understanding from the Minister today as to what is happening with surgeries at Stanton Hospital. I’ve heard that over the past three weeks, with the exception of emergency surgeries, all surgeries have been cancelled. Mr. Speaker, there is also the issue of infection rates in post-operative patients at Stanton. Has there been an increase in infection rates at that hospital? Why have surgeries been cancelled the last three weeks...

I think that’s some work that we have to continue on and that should take priority going down the road, that’s for sure. Like I said, alcohol is the biggest scourge that’s out there.

The other question that I have, I just wanted to ask the Minister whether or not the Department of Health and Social Services, under prevention, promotion, and health awareness, were you consulted with prior to the Department of Finance making a decision to raise taxes on cigarettes and alcohol?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just a couple of questions here. I’m just wondering, a couple of years back we had talked about a campaign to curb alcohol abuse. As anybody knows, alcohol is the biggest problem that we have out there, the biggest social ill that we have. We had talked about the department coming up with a campaign much like the Don’t Be a Butthead campaign to try to target alcohol and the ravages that it has on our communities. I’m just wondering where that’s at in the department’s plans or if there’s any money in this budget for that type of campaign.

I guess it’s okay for the Minister to talk about the future, but I guess in our questions we can’t. I appreciate and understand that and I’ll move on to my next question.

I know my colleague Mr. Abernethy was talking about the incentives being taken away for community health nurses and I’d like to ask the Minister why aren’t we providing more incentives and encouraging northern residents to stay and live in the smaller communities. It’s got to be cheaper than locum nurses, Mr. Chairman. I’d like to ask the Minister why are we providing incentives and encouraging folks to get into that program...

Mr. Chairman, I don’t want to belabour the point here, but Wednesday, February 9, 2011, page 19 unedited Hansard quote from the Minister: “They wouldn’t be, I don’t think, ready to apply to a job that is available on the website right away.” Those are her direct words from Hansard on Wednesday. Again, I think that is offensive. It is offensive to individuals who spent four years, and we made it a four-year degree program. That is an offensive line.

Like I said, the Minister, at the very least, owes an apology to those grads, some of whom won’t need the Graduate Replacement Program. I am not...

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just wanted to follow up with some of the questions my colleague Mr. Bromley had and I know Mr. Abernethy had earlier during this session. It gets back to graduating nurses and the possibility of them gaining employment in some of our smaller communities where services are desperately needed. I just wanted to get some assurances from the Minister that the Community Health Nursing Program is going to be maintained. The reason I say so is because in letters that graduating students this year in the Northern Nursing Program... They received a letter in January...