Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before I get into some of the things that we’re doing, I just want to make sure that we understand that the expected 200 per year increase is still just a preliminary number. We’re actually working on a prevalence study right now that’s going to help us have better numbers and feel more confident in the numbers. It could be higher, it could be lower, but I just wanted to be clear that that’s still just a preliminary number.

We are doing a number of different things. With respect to prevention, we’re focusing on education in two streams. We’re trying to get information...

The Member has been around long enough to remember that the midwifery position that was at the Yellowknife Health and Social Services was a completely unfunded position. There were no dollars allocated to that midwifery position. The Member should also remember that the authority chose to put in a Midwifery Program with one NP, which is basically a recipe for failure. There’s no way that one incumbent can actually provide midwifery services given that it’s a 24/7 operation. As a result, the incumbent did choose to leave.

Moving forward, we have the money that will not be utilized in the...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. On my left is Cherie Jarock, who is legislative counsel, and on my right is Debbie DeLancey, deputy minister, Department of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. For the 2015-16 fiscal year, $1.97 million in core funding was allocated for midwifery services in the Northwest Territories. Of that $1.97 million, it funds two midwifery positions in Fort Smith – both of which are now full – and the program costs. It also funds two midwifery positions in Hay River and also the program costs. Those positions are also full.

It also funds an NP position which is providing midwifery-type services for pre-birth throughout the region through community health nurses who is part of the MORE OB program up in the Beaufort-Delta. It was a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I’m pleased to be here to discuss Bill 68, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, No. 2. Bill 68 proposes to remove the child and family services committees from the act. These amendments were initiated by a recommendation made by the Standing Committee on Social Programs in their Committee Report 18-17(5), Report on the Review of Bill 47, An Act to Amend the Child and Family Services Act, where the Department of Health and Social Services was encouraged to act immediately and introduce a bill to remove all provisions pertaining to the child and family...

Thank you, Madam Chair. The Member asked roughly the same question when we were discussing the capital budget for ’16-17. At that time I indicated that we have actually made some progress on this file, significant progress. We are moving forward with a brand new system; we’re in the negotiations with a potential provider. It’s not going to be a rebuild of the existing awful system that the Member has described, but given the time it’s taken to land on an appropriate vendor, someone who can actually do the work and give us the tool that is going to meet the needs of the social workers that are...

Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following document, entitled “NWT Medical Travel Program: Patient-Escort Supports – Report on What We Heard, May 2015.” Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

It’s my understanding that the Town of Hay River actually did have a handivan in place, and for a period of time they did provide services throughout the community for persons with disabilities, including services to Enterprise as well. That service was actually discontinued by the community.

I would strongly encourage the community to continue to have dialogue with the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs around what money they can use that has been allocated already. Unfortunately, the Department of Health and Social Services, as I said, doesn’t have a responsibility for travel of...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Public transportation is the responsibility of the municipalities, and this includes things like the handivan services. At the present time, the GNWT doesn’t have any available funding through the Department of Health and Social Services to support this initiative. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are always working with the other departments, sharing technical expertise and information.

With respect to housing, we have occupational therapists who are available to do some assessments for individuals to determine what, if anything, they need in their individual homes, grab bars, ramps, many other things. So we do work with that. The Housing Corp has put in a program – I believe it’s called CARE, but I’m not 100 percent sure and I will confirm that later – where people can actually apply for money to do those ramps. We have occupational therapists and others who can come in and do...