Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On paper, this government provides quality health care to all residents no matter where they live, yet a select group of NWT communities does not have year-round nurses. Tsiigehtchic is one of them and it’s a stressful situation not to have reliable access to care, Mr. Speaker. Residents are fed up.
Being without a nurse in Tsiigehtchic isn’t for lack of trying. For years the community has been petitioning the Department of Health and Social Services for a year-round licenced practical nurse. The idea made it into the Health and Social Services 2010-11 Business Plan, but the Minister of Health eventually reneged on that commitment.
In the House on February 7, 2013, another promise was made. The former Minister of Health, the Honourable Tom Beaulieu, stated the department plans to continue to work with community leaders in the Beaufort-Delta Health Authority to try to provide nursing services in Tsiigehtchic. When I asked the Minister if he would commit to an interim measure, a pilot project to hire a licenced practical nurse, he gave an unequivocal yes. That was more than a year ago. Once again, nothing materialized.
Now, I have discovered that the new Minister of Health retracted his predecessor’s commitment. A meeting took place a few weeks ago in which the Minister informed the chief and a few others that an LPN would not be hired because of limitations posed by the service delivery policy.
Mr. Speaker, what doesn’t make sense to me is that the service delivery policy hasn’t changed since the Honourable Tom Beaulieu was in charge.
The lack of housing had been mentioned as a barrier, but that’s no longer a problem. The community has set aside housing specifically for nursing staff.
For far too long Tsiigehtchic residents have not had reliable access to health care. This government has to do better. The Minister of Health appears to be someone who can’t follow through on commitment.
Mr. Blake, the time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
For far too long Tsiigehtchic residents have not had reliable access to health care. This government has to do better. The Minister of Health appears to be someone who can’t follow through on commitments. He will have an opportunity to repair his reputation during oral questions today. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
