Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased that the planning study for replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre is underway. This is a facility that needs to be replaced due to age and maintenance costs. A new building will improve the quality of health care service delivery in Fort Simpson and the five outlying communities which depend on this as a regional centre.
As we continue to improve and expand our health care services, we need quality medical workspace and offices. This session we are debating the operations and maintenance budget of the GNWT. While this project I’m speaking about is a capital project, the efficiencies of a new building will always bring operations and maintenance costs down.
It was our own engineers who did a study and recommended the replacement of the facility due to its age and increasing maintenance costs. The Minister of Health and Social Services should be aware of the importance of the health centre replacement to deliver improved services and better equipment to the residents of Fort Simpson and region.
As you are aware, this project is on the red flag list in the capital plan, meaning that upon the completion of the planning study we will consider it seriously during the capital planning process for 2015-16, which begins after this session and into the summer session months.
The capital needs for health facilities in the communities are just as important in the regions and communities as the need to renovate the Stanton Territorial Hospital. It’s also important for me to ensure that we begin the process of including a replacement health centre for Fort Simpson into the 2015-16 capital plans.
Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Public Works and Services about the current stage of the planning study at the appropriate time. Mahsi cho.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, Mr. Nadli.
