Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have two questions today for the Minister of Health. Earlier today I indicated in my Member’s statement the need to create a better fast-track policy with extended health benefits as it pertains to newly diagnosed cancer patients. Can the Minister of Health please share with this House if there is a policy in place or a draft that deals with a better system for fast tracking cancer drug coverage?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. The Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. NWT health insurance pays and approves the cost of cancer therapies provided to the clients, and the department works closely in partnership with Alberta Health Services, in particular the Cross Cancer Institute, to provide the services to residents of the NWT at this time. Thank you.
Obviously at a later time I’ll be talking to the Minister, probably in closed quarters, to get more information on that.
The second part of my question has to do with what we’ve heard earlier today by my esteemed colleague from the Sahtu regarding his people having increased incidents of colorectal cancer and their concerns, but all of our citizens are worried about the increase of cancer cases in the NWT. Current information is not readily available to the public. The last report from the Health and Social Services, called “Cancer in the Northwest Territories 1990-2000: A Descriptive Report” is over 10 years old and very out of date. We are informed the Department of Health and Social Services has a new report covering 2000-2010 but has yet to be released.
Can the Minister of Health indicate to the House when this document will be available so the residents know what’s going on with cancer? Thank you.
The department will be publishing the report which covers 2001-2009, actually. The report is scheduled to be released in 2012, the earlier part of 2012 is my hope, and the information will cover such things as cancer incidents, mortality, cancer screening and also the stages of cancer diagnosis.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
