Sandy Lee

I will undertake to get back to the Member as to what time frame we will be looking at and what resources and commitments we would need to set up that system at Stanton, as well as the time frame for the rolling out of the PACS system.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Member for the question but my understanding, Mr. Speaker, is that this TPA treatment requires the electronic radiology system where the message and imaging has to be sent south for observation and evaluation before the medication could be given and that medication has to be given within three hours of stroke onset. Also, we have had a chronic shortage of radiologists and we only have visiting neurologists. That’s one of the reasons why Stanton cannot, at the moment, have that service available. Thank you.

I’d like to thank the Members for all the information and statements that they’ve presented today. I’d also like to thank many members of the public who have actively participated in expressing their views and concerns about how do we improve this program since it was announced in December.

As I have already stated in the House and outside, the changes to the Supplementary Health Benefits and the Catastrophic Drug Costs programs were designed because the Government of the Northwest Territories believed that nobody should be without access to supplementary health benefits because they can’t...

Mr. Speaker, I do agree with the Member that this is something that we should look to see whether we could have it available at Stanton. I could advise the Member, Mr. Speaker, that in the upcoming budget there are some investments on what’s called PACS, short for Picture Archiving and Communication System, and when they consent to investment in that, that allows transfer and exchange of picture images from different facilities. I think having that system in place will allow us to seriously look at having this type of treatment available. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’d like to take this opportunity to recognize Annemieka Mulders and Lorraine Phaneuf from the Status of Women Council of the NWT, and, sorry, Heidi-Ann Wild from the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think the information session...That is why we are calling it an information session workshop format; because that is what the NWT Seniors’ Society and other NGOs have done before in talking about changes to supplementary health format. In those discussions I think it would be a good opportunity to show the package of programs that we have available for seniors in the North, understanding, for example, we provide an exception for property taxes for seniors, which I don’t think other provinces do, and there are some other programs. We have to look at the attractiveness for seniors to retire...

Mr. Speaker, I am going to have to ask the Member to re-ask that question because I am not sure if I understand it.

Mr. Speaker, given the level of interest and the communication that we’ve been receiving from the public on these changes, I have a feeling that we are going to be able to seek and get input from the public as well as stakeholders to these programs. The department plans to have information sessions in all of the regional centres. We are going to do a full and meaningful consultation. The end date is to have it done by September 1st, but as I stated before, the important part of this exercise is to do the right work and we are committed to do that.

Mr. Speaker, people in the gallery and ourselves should know that it is a regular practice in this Legislature that any policy changes go to the standing committee for review and consultation. That took place with the supplementary health benefits in December of 2008, and between 2003 and ’07 this proposal went to the standing committee at least five or six times. It is consulted with NGOs and with the NWT Seniors’ Society as well as the Yellowknife Seniors’ Society. So I understand that the depth and breadth of consultation is not as good as what people would like to have and I have...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to recognize a couple of constituents: Ms. Heidi-Ann Wild. Sorry, I hope I didn’t screw up the name. Sorry. I believe she’s here to represent the Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Mr. Guy Leblanc who has been my constituent for a long time. Thank you.