Tom Beaulieu

We’re going to have to determine what adequate funding is initially. Right now there is an interdepartmental advisory committee led by MACA that’s looking at this. There are no program standards for the delivery of ambulance services in the Northwest Territories, and we recognize that standards have to be developed for liability purposes. We have a plan, along with the other departments, to regulate emergency medical service providers through the Health and Social Services Professions Act.

Thank you. I think that the authorities basically have the information available, such as posters and so on and being aware of diabetes, what you have to do to prevent diabetes and so on. I don’t have a complete script of what each authority has to do in order to get the message out to individuals on the prevention of diabetes or what to do if you have diabetes, so I can get that information for the Member through the department. No problem. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, I think that is a good way to go. As you know, we are building a new health centre and a modern health centre in Hay River. We’re hoping that that could encompass more than what they are currently providing, and to not only the community, but to surrounding communities such as Fort Providence. We think it would be much more efficient for the communities of Providence, Kakisa and the Hay River Reserve to get their services in Hay River. It’s definitely an idea that we are working towards.

Thank you. Working with the health authorities and the department, there are many strategies in place to mitigate the risk including training staff programs to return to work for injured staff, and also putting in the occupational health and safety committees in all of the authorities to try to address this issue. Thank you.

There are 12 people. We started off with 14. I could name them. In Beaufort-Delta we had asked Hazel Nerysoo, Lawrence Norbert, Freddie Carmichael and Ann Kasook to sit on that and two of them dropped out, Ann Kasook and Freddie Carmichael. In part of the meeting tomorrow we’re going to discuss the possibility of replacing them.

In the Sahtu/Tlicho we have Paul Andrew, Marie Adele Rabesca and Charlie Neyelle. I understand that Charlie Neyelle is contemplating not participating.

In Hay River/Yellowknife we have Jill Taylor, Laurie Sarkadi and Frank Yakimchuk.

In South Slave we have JoAnne...

Mr. Speaker, I realize that in the health centres, the health centres can dispense drugs but not prescribe. I think one of the things that nurse practitioners can do is prescribe drugs. I don’t know the details of that right now. I’m a little bit mixed up on the dispensing and prescribing. My understanding is what I have heard from the health centres is that they can dispense from the health centre, but only a nurse practitioner or a doctor can prescribe. Thank you.

We didn’t think of on-line questions to work in alongside of this forum, but it’s a good idea. I’ll discuss that with the forum in the morning when I meet with them.

If this is an issue, and I believe it is – the Member is bringing this up and we don’t want that to continue – I will talk to the department and we will relay the message to the authorities that we need to make some changes so that this type of thing, where an elder has to leave a community to go get a prescription drug, is a common thing that is renewed all of the time. Making them jump through some hoops in order to get a prescription is not necessary. We will address that issue. Thank you.

The initial meeting, which starts tomorrow and then will go all day tomorrow and Saturday, they are going to sit down and this is going to be their very first initial meeting. This is a new thing. They’re going to determine what is the best method of getting information. It’s possible that in some cases they will be seeking a lot of recommendations and a lot of information. I think they’re also going to put some stuff together that will provoke discussion in the right direction.

When we get the information back from the communities, when the communities tell us that this is the solution, then we’re going to assume that those are going to be the solutions. One of the best ways that I found in my past to come up with a solution is to go ask where the problem is. This is what we’re doing. We’re going back to the communities and we’re asking them to come up with a solution. I think it’s worked in the past when this type of thing has been requested of the communities and the communities want to come up with the solutions. Once the recommendations, I guess we’ll call it at...