Sandy Lee

Generally speaking, it would be between the patient or the patient’s immediate family and the health care professional on the ground. They would talk about the need for a person to be medevaced, whether it’s Yellowknife to any other places, for what reason and that there would be all the people involved working together.

The situation that the Member described in his Member’s statement, I don’t want to get into the details of it, and I do not know the details other than what he said. But I would like to say that in certain circumstances, the medical personnel on a medical flight may say either...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we begin our public meetings on supplementary health benefits, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate the substance of the changes being proposed.

Mr. Speaker, we want to improve “ACCESS” to the program. Our proposed changes will expand access to a group of people in our population who are currently shut out or have limited access. This will ensure that access to supplementary health benefits is no longer determined by a specific condition or by age but by income level. This is the accepted practice across the country. The change will also...

The wait times we’re talking about are similar across the country. So the services we need for our residents, we either provide them in Yellowknife or in Edmonton. Sending them south would not necessarily reduce the wait times. We do send our patients down south because that’s where the services are provided. So, for example, for orthopaedic surgery, our residents may get services here or in Edmonton. My point being we have medical specialists at Stanton in constant contact with patients that are waiting for the surgery and whether or not they need to be moved around to get the services they...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are a number of specialist services and other services we provide at Stanton and other facilities. Different services have different wait times depending on the demand versus available personnel. I’m not aware and I need to check whether there are strict standards put on wait times. I would like to advise the Member, however, that our residents do receive procedures they require if it’s an emergency and acute cases, and obviously our medical professionals are on constant watch to make sure that our people get the services they need.

Mr. Speaker, there have not been any changes to the Medical Travel Policy. The policy is that we do provide an escort for eligible patients. In normal circumstances, the health care professional would consult with the family to see who is the best person to go. Going by the description of the situation, it might have been a situation where the medical staff had to respond right away to send this person and that is probably why that is how that person was designated. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The NWT has one of the most generous medical travel policies for our residents and families. It’s been in existence for many years. We do not distinguish by condition. We do allow for one medical escort for medical purpose or for language purpose and for elders who are over 60.

Mr. Speaker, routinely, daily, I do get requests, for whatever reason, whether it be elderly or medically fragile infant or cancer patients or all kinds of reasons why many members want to have access to medical travel, but it is not possible, it is not allowed. We are allowed one medical escort...

Mr. Speaker, I believe all the Members in the House and the government recognizes and understands that there are many medical conditions that are serious, that are trying and it is about life and death, whether it is cancer, whether it is heart attack, you name it. There are so many procedures that our residents need on a day-to-day basis that our people will tell you that are pressing to them whether it is breast cancer, colorectal cancer, somebody who is in a car accident. We could go on and on. We have a general policy that allows our residents to access those services where it is necessary...

Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows, we have a lot of services in the NWT, but there are many that we do not. Our residents have to be able to travel outside of the NWT to obtain the services they need. Where that is an insured service, we do provide a medical escort. We do not distinguish by disease. We provide medical travel for all services that are covered on the health insurance and health services under the Canada Health Act, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, access families, we do not provide 100 percent of coverage for travel. Families do have to bear some costs in circumstances where their family...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for the Member, but that was quite a scathing statement talking about how unresponsive I am, which makes me wonder what kind of a Member is she to wait for 18 months before she brings up an issue about her constituent.

Mr. Speaker, we work on the same floor; we work in the same building; my BlackBerry is on 24 hours a day. She knows that a simple phone call or an e-mail could have given her an update. Mr. Speaker, at the same time, her scandalous headline, she did answer her own question in that…

I want to answer the question about...

Mr. Speaker, we have a medical policy that applies to all conditions whether it be cancer, transplant, premature baby who needs to be in an incubator, all kinds of medical procedures, and they work. I don’t think we want to be looking at creating 100 different policies depending on the specified condition that would require putting values on medical procedures that our residents need. Our policy is that we will provide medical travel per resident for one medical escort who needs to be with the patient. Mr. Speaker, that works and it is one of the best in the country. Thank you.