Norman Yakeleya

There has been an increase of diabetes in the Sahtu and in our smaller communities. I want to ask the Minister to continue this type of support that he just talked about, working with the Northern Stores, working with the Co-op to bring in some of their diet supplementary foods that people can purchase in these local stores to help them with the disease of diabetes. Does the Minister have a strategy with the local stores to bring in supplies that would help people with diabetes?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I want to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services what type of programs are there for people in the Sahtu that are dealing with diabetes.

Would the Minister work with his department and the government to see if there is a way to look at a compassionate policy that would handle situations such as this and this nature to help out the people in our communities?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. When the Minister of Health and I did a tour in the Sahtu, we listened to the people in our communities of the Sahtu. One of the things that we heard was that people talked about cancer, people who are dying or have died of terminal illness, and they talked about a government compassion policy to help people at their last stages of their life. People talked about one of the hardest things they have encountered was when they take their family and loved ones to the airport not knowing if that would be the last time they’re going to see them. If there’s any type of policy...

I certainly look forward to working with the Minister on seeing what type of arrangements can be made and when we can look at a date we can set down and visit one of the well sites.

I’m happy to see further discussions with the Minister on improving the transportation system in the Sahtu. Certainly, they come up usually from BC on Highway No. 7 to bring in their rigs and equipment from Fort St. John or from the Alberta border. They bring the heavy equipment up to the Sahtu. They also use that system; they use the water system and the marine system there. I look forward to further discussions...

Thank you, Madam Chair. I have a few specific issues on transportation and I have one comment on the Deh Cho Bridge.

I want to go straight into the Sahtu concerns with the proposed funding here that we are looking at. The first one has to do with the O and M on the Bear River ice crossing at Deline. I received an e-mail from the regional office in Fort Simpson and the ice crossing at Great Bear Lake is at 30,000 kilograms. Hopefully by the end of this day and further days to come, the weight category will go up to 45,000 kilograms within days.

My question to the Minister is that people in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My mother had diabetes. She died because of diabetes so it is very close to me that this program here has the attention that is needed. There are people in the Sahtu that do have it today, people in the Northwest Territories. Can the Minister tell me if this diabetes program we have now will receive a little more priority in terms of bringing programs into our communities that will give some indication to some early screening for our people in the communities that may not know that they are getting signs that diabetes could come into their life?

Can the Minister tell me and tell the House what type of programs the Department of Health and Social Services are working on with other community agencies or partnerships with the Northern Store or the Co-ops to support people who have to deal with diabetes?

Would the Minister of Health and Social Services look at this policy, this compassion policy we have within the next, say, before the business plan so that we can have some discussions with the appropriate committee and see if it meets the needs of the people? Bring forth the policy maybe by May or June, if that’s possible.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are to the Minister of Health and Social Services. I spoke about the need for a compassionate policy and I want to ask the Minister what special accommodations, if any, does the health system make when a person is dying of a terminal illness.