Debates of August 21, 2007 (day 14)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland. In terms of the Sahtu’s wish to…I don’t know how you interpret the patient wait time guarantee in terms of what does it take in terms of our board, our community here, communities in the Sahtu, to look at the possibility of having a regional wellness centre in the planning stages of the upcoming government in terms of we want to have regional wellness centres?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of items there. One, although the Member’s had a play on words with the patient wait times guarantee process we’ve set up with the federal government, our goal is to get nurses into our smaller communities through our community health nurse initiative. That’s ongoing and that’s targeted at the front line where people in our communities don’t have doctors, so that they can see the nurse in there and making sure those are fully operational. The other area the Member is speaking about is a regional facility as the Sahtu area is taking on more and more responsibility. The Sahtu now has the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority and the department is working with them on a master development plan as well as community development plans. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, would the department look at an initiative brought by the Sahtu leadership in terms of looking at a P3 model in terms of helping out with this government? We want to be part of the government. Would something like that be feasible by this government to look at a P3 model in terms of building a regional wellness centre?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, before we can look at a proposal, we have to work with the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority on that master development plan and look at the infrastructure we have in the region, then at that point decide if further steps need to be taken, then look at how we can build that into our plan as a department and requesting funds from this Assembly. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, some of the responses from the other Ministers in terms of the work that we want to do in the Sahtu, we want to ask this Minister what would it take for them, for this department to say this is urgent, this is a need that needs to be happening right away in the Sahtu in terms of establishing a wellness centre? What does it take from the Sahtu people to say we want something like the Deh Cho, something in the South Slave, something they can…(inaudible)…to say we want a regional wellness centre, also? What will it take, Mr. Speaker?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, first and foremost it would take having a master development plan agreed with between the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority and the Department of Health and Social Services. That would be a starting point. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.

Supplementary To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in light of that, getting the process in place with the department and the Sahtu regional health board, would the Minister look at committing to put together a feasibility study in terms of looking at a regional wellness centre and putting that on the agenda with the next government?

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 161-15(6): Regional Wellness Centre In The Sahtu

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I can’t speak for the next government but on our process as we’re working, we are working, from a department level, with all of the authorities and we continue to review our development plans. We have a master development plan with every group that looks at community infrastructure and regional infrastructure. So first things first is we need to get agreement on a master development plan with the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority which would take into consideration the population served and the facilities they have at their disposal for providing programs and services to residents. So that would be the first part. Once we have that, then we can, as I stated earlier, as a department if that priority comes through, is bring it forward in our departmental plans and then bring forward a plan that would require the approval of the Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.