Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Health care in small communities is somewhere between none and non-existent. Basically, in most cases you don’t have elder care; you don’t have home care; you don’t have mental health workers or alcohol/drug workers. You’re lucky to see a doctor once a month or to visit a family physician — a doctor or a nurse — or in most cases, to have a family dentist.
Mr. Speaker, it comes down to a question of the disparity between the larger centres in regard to care facilities and walk-in clinics; being able to have dental care in clinics; but more importantly, having elder care at 24hour care facilities.
There’s talk of a new dementia centre and more clinics in Yellowknife. Mr. Speaker, in most communities you’re lucky to see a doctor once a month, if the weather is clear and the doctors are available. The same thing applies in regard to physicians and being able to see a nurse in the community, which is scheduled for once a month. Again, if you’re lucky, they can find a nurse to provide that service.
Mr. Speaker, health care is an essential service that we cannot take for granted. To be able to see a doctor or nurse once a month is unacceptable in this day and age in regard to health care services for all residents of the Northwest Territories. We cannot have a two-part system determined by where you live, with services that people take for granted when in other communities there is no such service.
Mr. Speaker, I believe it’s time that this government did everything it can to ensure that everybody is treated fairly, and more importantly, that we receive the basic health care services that all Canadians expect.
Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services questions on this matter. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Member for Inuvik Twin Lakes, Mr. Robert McLeod.
