Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for the public service, for the Department of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod. Mr. Speaker, we live in stressful times and we certainly know and believe that employees are entitled to all the benefits and all the leaves that are encompassed in their employment contracts. Mr. Speaker, we hear that at any given time in the public service, 10 percent of positions are not filled. They are vacant and people must be off the job in various other types of leave as well: education leave, stress leave and maternity leave and all different kinds; bereavement leave.
Mr. Speaker, today I’d like to ask particularly about the issue of stress leave. Does the Minister know at any given time how many employees on a percentage basis, just an estimate, would be off from the public service in the Northwest Territories on stress leave? Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Minister of Human Resources, Mr. Bob McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would be only speculating. We don’t, once a person has medical leave, categorize the reasons leaving for being on medical leave. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So there is no such thing as stress leave, then. In fact, if a person is on stress leave, it just falls under the category of medical leave and they would then, I assume, be required to produce some kind of confirmation from a physician that they are entitled to be off. So just to understand, there is no differentiation between medical leave and stress leave? Thank you.
I didn’t say that. I just said that anybody that applies for medical leave, there are some requirements. If it’s for more than three days, you have to get a medical certificate, and Human Resources or managers don’t have the medical skills to be able to determine whether it’s valid or not. So generally if it’s for a longer term, it has to be vetted through our medical process. I think it’s involved with Stanton Hospital. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask what is the length of time an employee can be off on medical or stress leave with full paid benefits. Thank you.
I think anything over three days would require a medical certificate and it’s based on operational requirements. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Final supplementary, Mrs. Groenewegen.
Thank you. I don’t understand that answer, Mr. Speaker. If somebody is off on medical leave, is the Minister saying it could be indefinite? Like they could continue to receive full pay and be off on medical or stress leave indefinitely, or is there a time period at which some other type of disability-type pay would kick in? Thank you.
If you are an employee earning leave credits for the amount of time that you worked and the amount of usage that you have, you are entitled to so much sick leave. If you use more than you are entitled to, then you have to enter into other arrangements, either leave without pay or you go on disability. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
QUESTION 109-16(4):
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Minister of Health and Social Services in terms of the swine flu, the vaccine and the information. She said there was a 1-800 number to call for people who inquire for more information about it. Is this 1-800 number also being translated into the aboriginal languages for the people who want to use their language to get more information with regard to this flu?
Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The 1-888, triple eight, number for the flu line as well as Health Line have services available in official languages. Thank you.
So I am going to take it that when she says it’s available in official languages, that’s 24/7. Mr. Speaker, I will ask the Minister for the elders, in terms of elders’ care when this vaccine team comes into the communities, that the team would be going to some of the elders’ homes that are unable to get to the health centres, if they want to get their shots.
First, a clarification. The flu line is on during the day and then after hours, you are probably encouraged to call the Health Line. The second thing, Mr. Speaker, the flu action teams are flying to the communities. They will be working very closely with the local staff to make sure that local languages are available. I am also encouraging the staff to work with the local staff to see if there are any elders or any other residents in small communities who are not able to get out. We do what we can to cover them. We are also doing that for any other...We are trying to cover as many people as possible in any way possible. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, some of the people I talked to, in my previous meetings with them, are somewhat sceptical as to the vaccine, because there were so many different reports on it and studies on it. Is the department also going to be advising the elders if they do not want to take the vaccine, that they are encouraged to use the traditional medicines -- that’s one way also -- to see if this is an acceptable method by the health centres? I am not sure if that will be a message that this Minister wants to give. I want to make sure the elders are given this opportunity to see if they would also take their traditional medicines.
Mr. Speaker, the NWT chief medical health officer and myself were on CKLB this morning for two hours and we had excellent questions from people from all over the communities, all over the regions. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of not just elders in the communities, but in many quarters of our Territory people are seeking information. I would like to encourage all residents to find out where the flu clinic will be in their community and if they have any questions, including the elders, that they ask the staff those questions and that they get those answers. Then when they are comfortable with getting the flu shot, they will take it. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Yakeleya.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would again go back to the elders, to the aboriginal traditional medicine, if that is something the Minister is open to saying is acceptable if people don’t want to take the vaccine. Some people are very afraid. Some of the elders go back to the 1928 flu epidemic and there is still lots of concern about that. There is a big scare out there right now. People should know that it’s also okay to take traditional medicines in terms of dealing with this flu epidemic.
I don’t think myself as Minister or the chief medical health officer, even, could say, could give that kind of medical opinion that they can fight this H1N1 virus by using traditional methods of medication. I understand what the Member is saying. I think on an everyday basis, we should do everything we can to keep ourselves healthy, including taking traditional methods, herb medicine or anything else that works for them, including washing their hands and everything. Of course, all those apply. But with respect to H1N1 vaccine, our government’s position is that the best way to prevent getting this is to wash your hands, sneeze into your sleeve, if you’re sick, stay home and, fourthly, please go and take advantage of the vaccine. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
