Julie Green

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. I recognize that the Member is talking about some issues that preexisted COVID and for which we have specialized support funds, such as the suicide prevention fund. And so I hope that the community has applied for those funds and considered how to use them. They are to address that particular problem.

In the time that I've been Health Minister, there was a travelling team that went to Tuktoyaktuk and spent a few days there. And I think it was around about January of last year. And so I'm certainly happy to inquire whether that kind of a response is possible again...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today I am happy to announce that, starting immediately, we are resuming labour and delivery services for all NWT residents.

This means that any NWT resident who is due to deliver a child can now expect their delivery to happen in the Northwest Territories starting today. This represents a more rapid reopening than announced at the end of last month. The improved staffing outlook through March and April has made this change possible.

At this time residents from Nunavut, who are normally served by Stanton Territorial Hospital, will continue to travel to...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. One of the game changers during this pandemic has been virtual healthcare. I'm sure most people in this room have had a virtual appointment with a healthcare practitioner or a mental health counsellor, and it certainly has opened the possibility of care without having to leave home, which many people appreciate.

We also do, as the Member has said, have people in new roles and that has prompted us to look at things like the scope of practice, whether people are working to the scope of their practice or whether, in fact, we need...

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is no mandatory vaccine policy. Not for the public, not for the public service. People have a choice to make here. We are promoting a socially responsible place so that we can offer a safe workplace and a safe environment for the people of the NWT. That can be accomplished primarily by being vaccinated. It reduces transmission, and it reduces the severity of the illness.

So for further information on the government public service vaccine mandate, I recommend that the Member direct his questions to the Minister of Finance responsible for Human...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Member for Deh Cho for his questions.

I just want to begin by clarifying that there are no mandatory vaccinations in the NWT. It is, in fact, a personal choice. There are some businesses, municipalities, and other entities who have decided that in order to increase their gathering limits, they would ask for proof of vaccination from people who are using their services. So that's the proof of vaccine credential, which has been in place since the end of last year.

It is, in fact, a personal choice to get vaccinated. I do recommend it. It decreases the...

Thank you. I appreciate the question. I'm not going to end the public health emergency today, but bringing it to an end is a topic of discussion which I want to engage you and your colleagues in as soon as possible. We have been working on a plan, and I think that we will be in a position to share that with you by the end of the week and get your feedback on what we're doing and when we're doing it and how you think that will sit with your constituents. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the Member for the question. This is obviously a topic that's very much on people's minds.

The CPHO follows evidence based decisionmaking based on science and her own medical professional training. And she does, in fact, monitor some of the same criteria that the Member mentioned, including the number of cases in the NWT, the impact on the health system of those cases, both in acute care in the hospital and through public health capacity.

She looks at where infections are occurring and in what populations, including the vulnerable populations, the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to table the following two documents:

Follow-up letter to Oral Question 79119(2), obstetrics care; and, Follow-up letter to Oral Question 84919(2), healthcare wait times. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe it's a guarantee, but I will inquire and return with that information. Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this is obviously a crucial area. We don't have healthcare if we don't have human health resources. So because of the large vacancy rate in our health workforce and because of our mandate commitment to increase the size of the resident healthcare workforce, we've developed a threeyear health and social services system human resources plan, which will be made public in April. Some of the work is already underway that is laid out in that plan, including exploring financial incentives, improved access to training, ongoing outreach to understand the issues...