Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Over the last couple of months I’ve had a number of constituents mention concerns they have about the relocation of the medical travel office, which was formerly located at the Stanton Territorial Hospital. To see firsthand the status of the medical travel office and how the authority was addressing the move, I decided I’d go for a visit.
On Monday, September 27th, I went to Stanton where I found the offices formerly occupied by Medical Travel. On the door was an 8.5 inch by 11 inch sheet of paper with the following message:
Our offices have been relocated. If you need to contact Medical Travel call 867-669-4115. For your convenience, a telephone is available at the registration desk with speed dial to connect us. Thank you for your cooperation.
It was nice that the authority created the convenience of offering a speed dial, but, unfortunately, there was absolutely no reference to their new location and how you can reach them in person to discuss your travel requirements and arrangements. Fortunately I know where the new office is.
I went to the Centre Ice Plaza at around 3:45 p.m. and found the medical travel office. The main door to the Stanton office, made obvious by a sign which states “Stanton Finance Department” was locked. No hours of operation were posted. No reference to the medical travel office was posted either. Although I walked out, I still was determined to get to the medical travel office. I noticed that there was an internal door and I went through the mall to try and find my way to it. Just for the record, there is absolutely no reference in the mall to the internal door. I did find it and, to my surprise, it was open. So I went up the stairs and I went up to where the finance office and medical travel office is located. This was about five minutes to 4:00. I arrived at the main entrance and there is a sign saying that it is open until 4:00 p.m. Unfortunately, the door was locked and there was no way to get in to talk to anybody in finance or medical travel. I tried to find any reference to medical travel in that area and there is absolutely nothing.
Fortunately, at this time I happened to bump into a Stanton employee coming out of a storage locker and I inquired about the medical travel office. She indicated to me at that time that they are not open to the public. They only provide telephone services. It appears as though face-to-face client service is no longer important when it comes to medical travel. Further, it appears as though Stanton is unconcerned with implementing a reasonable transition plan when it comes to these types of changes; transition plans which help individuals both from within and outside Yellowknife...
Mr. Abernethy, your time for your Member’s statement has expired.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement.
---Unanimous consent granted
Transition plans will help individuals from both within and outside of Yellowknife who have become accustomed to face-to-face contact seamlessly switch to phone and electronic services. While at Stanton I did notice an empty office right where Medical Travel used to be. Medical Travel could have been left with at least one office there to help with this transition plan.
Customer service is important and as a result I’ll be asking the Minister some questions on the move to medical travel and their change in philosophy with respect to working with their clients during question period today.
Thank you, Mr. Abernethy. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
