Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health and Social Services announced a new medevac contract in January of this year. The new eight-year contract combines the medevac and clinical services as well as provides for newer aircraft and new equipment to serve all of our communities in the Northwest Territories. This is designed to improve the quality of service and response times.
In my constituency in recent years, there have been two instances where people felt that our medevac system failed them. Firstly, in May of 2013, the medevac took six hours to reach the community of Trout Lake, a mere 430 air kilometres. Secondly, there was a huge delay in getting to Fort Liard due to no automated weather observation system. Sadly, these two specific cases involved fatalities, so my constituents were very disheartened and concerned deeply that the medevac system fell short of delivering quality service.
I did raise these issues with the Minister of Health and Social Services at that time, and I am hopeful that these two specific concerns were taken into account when they deliberated this new contract.
Later today I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services how exactly will this new medevac contract benefit our small and remote communities. There is provision in the new contract for guaranteed response times. I am hopeful that they mean all of our communities, even those that have smaller airports.
With these improvements, I want our people in smaller, remote communities to have their confidence restored that their medical and medevac needs in distressing and challenging times will be taken care of in a timely manner. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
