Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh

Statements in Debates

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

We have that ability now. We are able to do multi-year funding project by project.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

Thank you. I don’t know how long the promise of reviewing medical travel has gone on. I do know that at this time we are a bit behind in our schedule for reviewing medical travel. Like I indicated in the House yesterday, there are a lot of pressures in our system, a lot of pressures to do a lot of different things in the system. As we had the human resources in the department allocated to certain projects, this is one of the projects which is kind of stumbling out of the blocks, because there’s a lot of real high-priority issues for the department. We are planning to do a review of it and we...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

Thank you, Madam Chair. Our first plan A is to try and retain the THSSI funding. We are on the schedule of the federal Minister, and when the federal Minister wishes to discuss the plan or the furtherance of the THSSI funding with us, then at that time we will have that discussion. If there is no discussion and the money is sunsetted or lapsed, then we will need to come back to the Legislative Assembly to fill the gaps. We really don’t think it’s an option to reduce medical travel by that amount. We really don’t think it’s an option to lay off six nurse practitioners. We really don’t think it...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

We have no problem providing that information. If we are able to pull that information, the department is listening and is able to pull that information together before the end of the review, we will provide that in the House. If not, we will provide that to the Members at a later date.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department recognizes that prevention is probably the key to long-term savings for the department. Some of the money that we’re putting into the system on prevention, at the end of the day, downstream, will have positive financial benefits to the department. So that is probably the main thing.

In as far as medical travel goes, we recognize that maybe medical travel is not as efficient as it should be. There are a lot of pressures on medical travel. People put pressures on medical travel and sometimes individuals that may not be eligible for an escort, as an example...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

We don’t have the detail of the level of discussion between officials for the GNWT and the federal government through ANSI, the federal government, Aboriginal Affairs. So we can provide that information to the membership or to this Member. It shouldn’t be difficult to pull that information together. We can pull that information and provide that to the Member.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

When we request reports and we RFP work with the intention that the company is doing work for the Department of Health and Social Services, for that intent, if we are to release their work beyond our own coffers, beyond Health and Social Services, then we do have to return back to the company to see if it is okay to release their work that was initially requested by us for us.

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

Thank you. Midwifery is not a cost-savings measure. Midwifery is to provide a service that will be put into place for the health of the children and for the long-term benefits to the health system. It’s not an immediate cost savings. Any cost savings that would come as a result of midwifery through medical travel and so on will be eaten up by incremental costs of hiring midwives. So we can’t approach this and say we’re going to put Midwifery Program feet on the ground right away and start seeing the results of savings. That’s not going to happen.

What will happen is, in the long run, as we...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

Thank you. We have had the two CEOs from Deh Cho Health and Social Services and the CEO of the Hay River Health and Social Services discussing how they’re going to be able to provide a service to the people on the reserve using that health centre. So the plan is that we’re going to be most likely using the medical services out of Hay River to come across and provide service on the reserve. So right now it’s just sorting out some of the details.

I mean, as soon as the land tenure is done, that place will be operational. We’re just going to sort out the details and then between the two CEOs they...

Debates of , 17th Assembly, 4th Session (day 12)

We can provide the details of the expenditures up until the end of March. As far as who is doing the work, I will have the deputy minister provide the name.