Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. The honourable Member for Nunakput, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have questions for the Minister of the Power Corporation. In my Member’s statement today, the community of Ulukhaktok on October 4th and 5th had 20 households with no power, including the airport. Nunakput at this time of the year on the coastline communities, there is fog and freezing rain. I am just wondering if the Minister could speak to the Power Corporation to see if we could send crews into the communities that they represent to clear the ice off of the lines. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Jacobson. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Power Corporation, Mr. Roland.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Member for that question on the Power Corporation. It was unfortunate the incidents that occurred there, and the power being out for as long as it was and the weather affecting the crews from getting into that community. We must, as the Member has stated, ensure that the community pull together in a very solid way, and a successful way, and ensuring people manage to get power to their homes and keep their homes heated. We thank the community for pulling together on that.
The Power Corporation, on the issue of the outages that have occurred both in Ulukhaktok and in Inuvik, for example, I have spoken to the board and they are getting me some additional information as well as looking at the recruitment process to come up with some plans on their maintenance structures. I will have to talk to them about that as they go forward. Thank you.
I want to thank the Minister for that reply. I am just wondering if we could set up a backup system for each community on the coast, and in Inuvik as well, or making sure that when the power goes out in the middle of winter when it is 40 below and you have a blizzard, it is usually for three days. We have some sort of system in there that we could... What could you do to make it happen in regard to having a safe system that we could rely on?
Mr. Speaker, all the work that the Power Corporation does in trying to provide a reliable service to the communities does include a level of redundancy, and that is in the generators, or Gen Set as we call them in the communities, so that there is backup.
The problem becomes more so an issue when we talk about our lines and transformers and so on. They have equipment that they could replace, but it is a matter of getting people into our most remote communities when something does occur like that and we try to marshal the crews to get out as soon as weather permits in some cases to, in fact, restore that power. We do have redundancy. The issue becomes, for example, around power lines, transformers, those areas where there are some problems that do occur. I will get additional information on the level of redundancy and the cost of that as well. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, for the maintenance program in regards to the low outlying communities, is there one in place for the summer months or for the communities?
Mr. Speaker, I need some clarification on that. Is there a backup system in place over the summer months? We do have, for example, Gen Sets that are available and we move them in from time to time where they are needed in our communities where there are major outages and major breakdowns. Again, that is marshalled up at the time when we have them set up so that we can move them throughout the Territory. Again, for more specific on what area of backup the Member is looking for. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Jacobson.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The maintenance program that I am referring to is just like going in there in the communities in the summer making sure the lines are connected properly to the poles, making sure they are grounded out in high wind areas, and seeing if we could also get local qualified people in the communities that represent the Power Corporation being able to fix these situations that we know that happen periodically in the communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, I will get the maintenance schedule for our communities and provide that to Members. I know in our work we do, when we are replacing some capital components, that they do have a schedule for our communities. I will get that information for Members. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Roland. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. During my Member’s statement I raised the issue of the liberation treatment that can offer a new hope to MS patients out there. I have written the Minister of Health and Social Services regarding this concern and I would like to call it an opportunity of hope for those people who have MS. My question to the Minister of Health and Social Services is: What is her department doing to look at this treatment? Is there any possibility that the Department of Health and Social Services can get on board and see if we can select a couple of patients to try this treatment to see if we can bring new hope, opportunity, and have a return of quality of life that these people have lost and so much deserved? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Government of the Northwest Territories and the Department of Health and Social Services is on board with all of the other jurisdictions in Canada. All of the Ministers of Health have agreed that we are supportive of this treatment going forward once there is scientific evidence that would take us to the next level. All provinces and territories have agreed that we will work together and work with the scientists to be ready when the scientific evidence shows that this procedure is ready for clinical trial. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the issue before us here is the Minister is saying not enough science out there that says one way or the other. Saskatchewan believes that there is enough science out there to give this a try. If I have it correct, I believe Newfoundland is seriously looking at this and if you ask anybody who has received the treatment for liberation to help them, certainly they think the science exists, because they are travelling all over the world to get these types of things.
Not to be cynical, but may I remind the Minister, and certainly this House, that for years scientists said cigarettes were just fine too. Science will say one thing depending on who is paying for it and science could say something else depending on the other person, but the reality here is this is a new hope and certainly that is what I am asking for. What type of strategy can we put in place to bring new hope to people who haven’t had hope for a long time? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, for the Member’s information, Saskatchewan is not doing clinical trials. They are doing clinical research which is being done in a number of sites. They are being funded by the federal government too. Minister Aglukkaq announced that. The federal government and Saskatchewan and the Province of Newfoundland are not doing clinical trials. What they are doing is the Minister announced a funding to monitor those who are receiving this service overseas. There is no clinical trial being done right now, but we are all working with scientists in various jurisdictions in different clinical research, because clinical research has to give us the scientific evidence that would tell us that it is safe to move to clinical trial.
I want the Member to know that we are on board along with all other Ministers to work together so that we are ready when the scientific evidence shows that it is ready for clinical trial. Thank you.
I will agree with her on the clinical trial part, but who do you think they do the clinical trial part on? On people who have MS, in my view. If you talk to people who have MS out there, and I have some constituents who do have this, they view that as an opportunity for treatment and they would like to certainly be involved in this opportunity, as I’ve tried to describe it. Quite truly it is an opportunity of hope finally coming to a sector that has had very little hope and opportunity.
So the issue continues to be sort of the same point, which is how do we get our patients, our residents who have MS here in the Northwest Territories involved in any type of opportunities, such as this liberation treatment? Even if the Minister wants to call it research, how do we get them involved in the research of this new therapy? Thank you.
Thank you. We would be part of or we could sign up to be a part of national research when the clinical trials are ready to proceed. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is any clinical trials or procedures like this have a very set objective process that scientists and doctors follow. They have to be random, they have to be double blinded and it has to be safe. In all of the jurisdictions there are lots of researchers at different university settings that are studying this issue and right now. The information is that science does not indicate that we could do this clinical trial safely. But NWT residents could get on board with clinical trials once that becomes available as a safe clinical trial procedure. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Hawkins.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Anything that moves this forward even by an inch is a success, in my view. I want to get people into this treatment. Again, we’ll call it research, if that’s all we want to describe it as, although I know very well that it’s being used as real treatment for a lot of people.
As I said earlier, we have MS patients in my riding who would like to be part of this process. Is the Minister willing to get out there and reach out to the MS community to start finding out if there are people who would be willing to join the research, who would want to be involved in the opportunities before us here? This is a chance of a lifetime, if I may describe it as that, but certainly a new hope in a life that needs new success. So would the Minister set something up and work with the MS community to make sure our residents could be involved in this profound, positive opportunity? Thank you.
Thank you. We will be monitoring and working with other jurisdictions to see the results of clinical research that is being conducted. A lot of multi site researchers are being funded by the federal government and we are also watching to see what’s happening in Saskatchewan as well. So, Mr. Speaker, we do not have a research capacity in the Northwest Territories to do our own research, but certainly we will be part of the national research and findings and any progress that we can make on this issue. We are focused on this issue very much nationally and as a small jurisdiction. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today I have questions for the Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation regarding targeted seniors housing programs.
Mr. Speaker, can the Minister advise me if seniors are still the highest core need group in housing across the Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Minister responsible for the NWT Housing Corporation, Mr. Robert McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Seniors continue to be one of the highest core needs across the Northwest Territories. Thank you.
I thought they would be the highest core need group; that was my understanding. However, can the Minister agree that once a unit or a house is considered beyond economical repair, that that unit is scheduled for replacement or should be replaced as opposed to being repaired? Thank you.
Once a unit is determined to be unsafe or unhealthy to live in, or beyond economic repair, then the plan is normally to demolish the units and replace them. Thank you.
You can imagine the high cost of that, replacing all the seniors’ homeownership units across the Territories. Can the Minister commit to directing his staff and the NWT Housing Corporation to develop a program that targets core need housing for seniors’ home repairs? Thank you.
The NWT Housing Corporation has a few programs that are targeted at seniors, the Seniors Preventative Maintenance Program being one of them. You used to be able to qualify for up to $875, but it’s been raised to $2,000 and that will enable them to get some preventative maintenance work done on their unit. As well, through the CARE program, the old seniors program, they would qualify for possibly up to $20,000, but through the CARE program they can qualify up to $90,000 and seniors are given a priority. But as I heard in one of my visits to the Member’s community, there was some discussion about the old program and $20,000 and maybe using that. So it’s something that as a corporation we’ll continue to explore and if we find that we get more value for our dollar by spreading them out and doing more units, then that’s something we’d have to consider. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The reason I’m asking these questions is because the CARE program is not addressing the issues with the seniors and the seniors wish to see targeted programs. So can the Minister, in addition to looking at a seniors home repair program, a targeted program for a seniors home repair program and commit to directing his staff and the NWT Housing Corporation to develop a program that targets seniors and disabled persons in a preventive maintenance program? Thank you.
Thank you. The Seniors Preventative Maintenance Program enables seniors to access up to $2,000 for some work. There are also two or three programs, where we’re a delivery agent for CMHC, that specifically targets seniors and one of them is Home Adaption for Seniors and Dependents. So there are some programs out there.
I’ve heard the Member’s concerns, I’ve heard the concerns from one of his communities that I visited. So it is one that I will take back to the corporation and see how we can best address the needs of seniors. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Hay River South, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I said in my Member’s statement today, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. This has to do with the delivery of specialist care, specialist services to residents of the Northwest Territories.
Mr. Speaker, I fully understand and applaud the department for attempting to attract, recruit and retain specialists of various disciplines here in the Northwest Territories. It makes sense. However, Mr. Speaker, the truth of the matter is that specialists are sometimes available here in the North and sometimes not.
In the last several weeks in Hay River I’ve had two constituents who had been seen for a long period of time by a specialist in the south who was a neurologist, because most of these constituents have MS and this is a chronic condition, which properly managed and monitored can go into remission and can be substantively, even held at a certain level for a period of time. One of the negative contributing factors to a condition like MS is stress, and when a patient has had a longstanding relationship with a doctor, they know their case, they are trusted by the patient and this creates some stability for that patient.
So in both of these instances, kind of on the eve of medical travel to go to Edmonton to see their specialist, they were informed that their medical travel was denied because there was now a neurologist available to see them in Yellowknife. This does not seem like a good way to manage this and I’m asking the Minister of Health today is there a different way we can do this so that we avoid this kind of stress for these patients? Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I do appreciate the need to make this sort of process as smooth and seamless as possible for the patient. I am aware that one of the patients in Hay River we did approve the travel, but we did give notice that for next year she would have to travel to a neurologist in Yellowknife. Also, I will work with the department to make sure that we review the files and see that if there is going to be a change in specialists that they need to see, that we give them as much notice as possible. Thank you.
I do appreciate the Minister is right that there was an exception made in one instance. However, it doesn’t really address the problem going forward and ongoing. I think that a more in-depth analysis needs to be done of the situation. For example, even if there is a neurologist now resident in Yellowknife, what is the caseload of that neurologist? How long will additional patients being added to the caseload have to wait in order to see them? Is there an extraordinary heavy caseload? Is it a light patient load whereby if we don’t include these other folks then they won’t be able to continue to practice here? We need a more in-depth analysis.
The other complicating factor is that quite often, even if they come here to Yellowknife and are assessed by the neurologist, some of the procedures and testing they need are done in Edmonton anyway. So I don’t think we can take just a really simple approach to this. I think we need to take a very critical look at it on a discipline-by-discipline basis when it comes to the specialists. Could the Minister agree the department could undertake that?
I agree with the Member that this is not a simple matter and it does involve patient care and comfort and continuity of care that the patient expects.
Specialist service in the Territories and at Stanton Hospital is one of the most important and expensive services. We’ve spent about $13 million on specialists and they’re often over budget. We also spent a lot of money on out-of-territory services. So it is important that when we get a specialist service such as a neurologist, that we use those resources at maximum.
With respect to wait times, we did review that and I certainly could work with the specialist to make sure that those wait lists are managed as much as possible. I am aware that, especially with MS patients, we have quite a few of them in Yellowknife. It seems it is more common in Yellowknife and Hay River. It is important for us to have a neurologist service here. We’re lucky we have those and we just need to make sure that we manage as well as possible so that we communicate well with the patients.
For further clarity then, in the case where a patient with MS has had a longstanding relationship with a physician, with a specialist, a neurologist in the south, has been travelling out to see that specialist, is it only the medical travel portion that is affected? So, in fact, if the patient said it is so important to me that I need to see this particular doctor because they know my case, I know them, there’s a trust relationship built, is it possible for that patient to say, okay, I will pay for my own medical travel to get to Edmonton? Will the department then continue to support that patient to receive that service in the south? Is it the medical travel that’s the issue or is it the actual care that the service that the position is delivering?
I’ll have to get the details, but I would venture to guess that actual service of that specialist that we would have to pay in wherever place that they go would be as high, if not higher, than the medical travel and related expenses. There is a formula for the services like neurologists and inter-jurisdictional billing and such. So we would be paying for that specialist in Edmonton or wherever, while at the same time we are paying for our in-house specialist.
Specialists are, as you know, quite, I don’t want to say expensive, but we pay a lot of money to have somebody like a neurologist. We have to minimize occasions where we are double paying when we have an in-house specialist in the Territories.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Would the Minister consider grandfathering people who already have a longstanding, established relationship with a specialist in the south?
Also, can the Minister confirm that the neurologist who is currently located in Yellowknife, does that specialist have a full patient load or do they have capacity to take on more patients?
I would be happy to get back to the Member on the load, the wait times and such. Also, we should be mindful of the fact that the Medical Travel Policy says that we pay for medical travel and treatment of patients where those services are not available in the NWT. It may be that somebody may have to see another neurologist because the service that they provide here is not exactly alike. So we make sure that we have the services there. I will get back to the Member on what the patient load is, wait times.
With respect to grandfathering, that is always not a good idea. I will just get back to the Member with that information.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
