Thank you, Mr. Speaker. November is Diabetes Month, but every month is Diabetes Month for 2,000 or 3,000 of our residents. Most of us, maybe all of us, know someone who struggles to manage their diabetes. People with this disease do not properly absorb sugars and starches from their blood. They typically suffer from severe thirst and produce a lot of urine. It is really important to detect diabetes early on because it is much easier to manage with exercise and a healthy diet. If diabetes is not managed, blindness and even death can result.
Diabetes is a relatively new disease among Aboriginal peoples of the NWT. A few decades ago it was almost unheard of among us, but changes in our lifestyle and diet have led to the rise of diabetes rates. These are all reasons that we must raise awareness of diabetes and what to do about it in our small communities.
Yesterday I was glad to hear the Health Minister talk about pilot project to manage diabetes in Deline and a couple other communities. However, none are in my riding and I urge the Minister to expand the program into the Deh Cho region.
Right now diabetes patients in Fort Providence are sent to Yellowknife for support services, counselling, or to see a nutritionist even though Hay River is much closer. It would be much more convenient and probably less expensive to send diabetes patients from my home communities to Hay River. Surely the Health Department can at least give them that option.
The closer health services are to a community, the better people will understand their conditions and the more involved they will be in their own care. In the case of diabetes, it is important for the patients’ families to understand the disease and how they can help. I hope our Health department and authorities will expand services in this way.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
