Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I will make that commitment. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don’t have the full particulars of the individual case that the Member is mentioning, but I would be glad to commit to check into the questions that he does have so that we can make sure that it is addressed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, working with the Housing Corporation, needs assessments are done on an ongoing basis. We have a range of programs that are available. There are housing needs across the territory. We are looking at 10 new units here in Yellowknife in addition to the range of programs that seniors are eligible for, that I have already listed, Mr. Speaker. We recognize, as well, that as another program area, there are probably more problems and needs than there are resources. We believe we have a selection of services and resources available here that would help address...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there is work still being done by the working group on the design. Money has been put in this over the last couple of years. Land has been acquired, but they are still working on a design. As well, we are still completing the review of facilities across the Northwest Territories and all the communities that have seniors’ facilities to see what requirements are there to upgrade these facilities to make them compatible for the use we find ourselves requiring these days when it comes to dealing with accountability and plans that are there. So that work, as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, tuberculosis continues to exist as a disease and there are approximately eight to 12 cases a year. What has improved is our ability to make sure that we don’t miss those cases. We had a case a number of years ago, I believe the Member will recall in his own riding, and there was a lot of circumstances and we learned a very hard lesson from that and have taken great steps to ensure the medical staff in the communities is trained, that there are TB protocols that are adhered to and when things are identified, this is one of the things tested for and when TB...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, just quickly to recap, on May 17th an individual was sent out for treatment for what was thought to be cancer, and it turned out to be a very contagious form of TB. It was judged at that time that this individual had been in the community for a while, and being as it was highly infectious there were steps taken to go to the community with health practitioners. About 15 individuals were subsequently flown to Inuvik where they were tested. The majority of them returned home. Some have been identified that they may require follow-up and treatment. They...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we will be working with the Sahtu health board that has been set up in the Sahtu. We will be working with, of course, Inuvik through the transition period. We have the staff out of headquarters, we have the staff at the regional level, as well as the staff in the nursing stations. We've made a special effort to ensure that our protocols are up to date, that we have the proper checks and balances in place to ensure that the issue of TB is front and centre, and we encourage people to get checked. So we are going to be working with all the communities in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as the Minister responsible for Seniors, I have had discussions with the Minister responsible for the Housing Corporation and I will continue to do that to make sure that whatever actions we take as a government are done in a measured and coordinated way, and that there is no undue concern caused to any quarter. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the Member that we are fully committed to involving the Sahtu, and at the time that report was drafted and written it was done when the Sahtu was still part of the Inuvik region. In any future reports, they will recognize that there is a separate health board and authority in the Sahtu. But the point of the question being that every community in the Northwest Territories is going to be paid attention to when it comes to dealing with tuberculosis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as a government, as a department, we're committed to the recommendations made with regard to TB and responding to the need to better deal with that particular situation. My comments to situations that may involve the school is that yes, I will give the commitment that we will be working closely with the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment. We have meetings planned in the near future with the social envelope to talk about issues where we have common concerns and obligations. So that will be on the list.