Sandy Lee

I agree with the Member that this is not a simple matter and it does involve patient care and comfort and continuity of care that the patient expects.

Specialist service in the Territories and at Stanton Hospital is one of the most important and expensive services. We’ve spent about $13 million on specialists and they’re often over budget. We also spent a lot of money on out-of-territory services. So it is important that when we get a specialist service such as a neurologist, that we use those resources at maximum.

With respect to wait times, we did review that and I certainly could work with...

Thank you. We will be monitoring and working with other jurisdictions to see the results of clinical research that is being conducted. A lot of multi site researchers are being funded by the federal government and we are also watching to see what’s happening in Saskatchewan as well. So, Mr. Speaker, we do not have a research capacity in the Northwest Territories to do our own research, but certainly we will be part of the national research and findings and any progress that we can make on this issue. We are focused on this issue very much nationally and as a small jurisdiction. Thank you.

That would not be based on the regions or the facilities. It wouldn’t be because they’re being moved from out of Territories or something like that. I would think that’s a question of insured services versus uninsured services, something that we hear all the time. Hospital-to-hospital transportation, that would be considered insured services and that’s covered under Medicare, medical travel. Long-term care is not considered insured services, so for some residents those are not covered. How the authorities deal with that is often they try to look to see if they need to go anywhere for medical...

Mr. Speaker, for the Member’s information, Saskatchewan is not doing clinical trials. They are doing clinical research which is being done in a number of sites. They are being funded by the federal government too. Minister Aglukkaq announced that. The federal government and Saskatchewan and the Province of Newfoundland are not doing clinical trials. What they are doing is the Minister announced a funding to monitor those who are receiving this service overseas. There is no clinical trial being done right now, but we are all working with scientists in various jurisdictions in different clinical...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t have a number on me as to how many people were processed through that, but I can tell the Member that anybody in the Territories who is being considered for a placement into a long-term care would have had to have gone through TAC. So I will get back to the Member on the exact number. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I will get back to the Member on the details of where that budget is being allocated. The Member should know that there is a lot of cost associated with having a CHN. It is a very important program, but it needs a partnership from the authorities and mentors and extra costs in supporting a student through the program. I will undertake to get back to the Member on the breakdown of that. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The program continues. We continue to support the program. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am not aware of that plan. If there were, I would let the Member know.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have discussed on many different occasions in standing committee and in health information dialogue and in the health community, deficit is a common issue everywhere in Canada. Every jurisdiction is faced with rising health care costs, rising health care services, rising drug costs, equipment costs, labour costs and the demand of service. NWT is no exception.

Stanton Territorial Health Authority is a territorial body. Their deficit is not Stanton’s deficit per se, but it is a system deficit. Dr. Corkal, who is the medical director, and the CEO, Kay Louis, and the...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member is aware, the joint working group on the Supp Health Benefits Program completed its work. We have jointly submitted the report to the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning and Cabinet. The supp working group’s work is done and we are looking forward to getting feedback from the committee on the work that the joint working group has completed.