Debates of May 9, 2007 (day 3)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in my Member’s statement, I raised a number of issues. I want to start with one of them today. The question is about the announcement that was made on the wait times by the federal government and his territorial counterparts about a month ago in the Great Hall. I would like to ask the Minister of Health a question about how that proposal, in terms of how it relates to the North, has come about. The federal statement stated that the wait times would gear towards five categories. Some of them being cancer treatment, diagnostic imaging and surgical programs and such, but for the northern communities, the money is small. I understand that it is only about $5 million. It would go toward primary care. There is nothing wrong with that, but I would like to know how that program idea came about, because my understanding is we were not consulted in Social Programs committee. I don’t know what the Minister did. The insider constituency meeting suggested that, in fact, the federal government did want what the GNWT wanted. I would like to know how the Minister came about that idea. Thank you.

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

Return To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of the wait times discussions that went on between the federal government, provinces and territories was one where the three northern territories were very concerned with how that was moving and what impact that may have on us, because a lot of our critical care needs are done in southern jurisdictions. If they decided to change how they dealt with us, it could have an impact on the overall health care delivery. So we looked at the issues where we felt had our greatest pressures and worked with federal Health in that area. Yes, the Member is correct; federal Health looked at it and agreed with the three territories on the unique challenges we face and agreed that we could have a different look and viewpoint on how we are going to move forward on this. We chose the primary health care area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, like all things we deal with, all these things work in a continuum. We can’t isolate one issue at the exclusion of all the others. While we need to put resources into primary care in communities, that is important, but we still have to address the wait time issues in areas that the federal government talks about; in particular, diagnostic imaging. We have a long line-up at the territorial hospital here to get X-rays, C-scans, unless you go to emergency. You may have to wait days or a couple of weeks just to get an X-ray on your back about what is wrong with you. I would like to ask the Minister what we are doing about dealing with the wait times in that regard. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in a couple of areas we are already meeting what times we have talked about and discussed. For example, hips and knees and cataracts are areas where we have already got fairly good coverage, so we are meeting on some of those targets the federal government has sort of aimed at as we feel we are adequate in those areas. Our challenges are, and we continue to be challenged, for example in primary care first contact. When a patient goes into a health centre or a hospital, what are our challenges? Our greatest challenges are in the smallest communities. Hence, the target of a community health nurse education initiative that we are looking at as well as the nurse practitioners side. We are also working on diagnostic imaging. We continue to work in that area, for example, with Capital Health Authority. We are working in that area to improve on the diagnostic imaging area. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand we need to have front-line care in the communities and also the argument is that because a lot of our cancer care and even surgeries are done with Edmonton Capital Health Authority that we are addressing it that way. But you could switch that. The reason we are relying on them is because we have been without a second surgeon for a long time. We are having a hard time recruiting that. We have a waiting list on surgeries for hips and joints. We haven’t had a full staff diagnostic imaging in a long time. So I think it is important for the government to work on all fronts. I would like to give the Minister an opportunity to explain how we are addressing those areas, surgeries and diagnostic imaging here and shortage of staff here, and therefore creating wait times. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when you do a comparison with what is happening in the territorial health area, Health and Social Services with other jurisdictions, we have a pretty good system in place. How we are able to meet the demands. If you go to Alberta even, which is seen as one of the richest areas of the country, and look at the demands on their system and some of the wait times there, we are doing okay here in the Northwest Territories. Yes, we need to continue to improve. That is why we are continuing to work with Capital Health Authority on the diagnostic imaging area. That is something we will continue to do. In fact, I think we are pretty close to coming to an agreement on how we will work together.

The actual area of wait time guarantees is still under a lot of discussion with Canada, the provinces and territories. It is not a concluded area. We are going to have to see how the federal government will come to the table in what manner and with what resources if we are actually going to nail down what wait time will be on any health procedure across the country. If we were to try to take over a lot of the services that we get done right now by our partners in southern Canada, we would have to infuse a whole lot more resources than we can afford at this point. So what we have tried to do, for example, and we have done it, is we have started our own Nursing Program in the North to get the nurses on it. We have a full complement of doctors here in the capital and working on it and trying to solidify that within the region. So we are taking a number of those steps to continue to improve in those areas. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Ms. Lee.

Supplementary To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to nurses, nurses don’t do surgeries. Surgeons do surgeries and they don’t do diagnostic imaging. Primary health facilities, while they are important, don’t do these either. These are important wait times. I beg to differ with the Minister in that we do have our own problems here and wait times to deal with. First of all, I would like to ask the Minister to commit to giving us information as to how he compares us with the rest of the country. I would like to ask the Minister to commit to providing that information and also his commitment that he will continue to work with the federal government and look at this as a problem area, because I am sensing from the Minister that he thinks this is all okay and not working on that. We need to address those wait times as well. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 42-15(6): Health Procedure Wait Times

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of wait times is not, as I stated, an issue that is concluded. It is an area where we are challenged. We are going to continue to be challenged, especially when you look at the partners that we have in the Northwest Territories, in delivering health care. Yes, I will work and provide information. I will gladly sit down with the Social Programs committee or all Members of this Assembly to show how we work through this and how we have come up to highlight where we think we need to focus on this time and, in fact, some of the areas we are working on like diagnostic imaging. We continue to work with the federal government. By signing this agreement, we have opened the door to potentially more resources in the area of how we deal with diagnostic imaging. Thank you.