Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today, I spoke about the planning study for the replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services a few more questions about this project. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the Department of Public Works and Services has already gone into the community in 2015 to discuss this project. Can the Minister please provide us with an update on this meeting? Marci cho, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Speaker, I think, at the time, that meeting was to discuss land location and a few other things to get, actually, a confirmed sense of where that building would be located. There was some talk about some of the specifics of the building. It is going to be a level B/C facility, which is basically one of our larger health centres in the Northwest Territories, providing a larger range of services given the size and scope of the community that it's located in and the regional nature of that community.
In a sense, the facility is going to be very similar to the one in Norman Wells. There was some conversation at that meeting about, you know, customizing and making it specific to represent the culture of the region and the area. When it comes to clinical rooms, those clinical rooms are very specific and have to meet certain health care standards, including infection protocols, but we've made a commitment to the community, we've made a commitment to all communities when we build health centres, that we're open to discussion on how to have some of the common areas designed and modified to meet the cultural needs or the cultural realities of the regions that these facilities happen to be located in.
I thank the Minister for his answer. It clears up a little bit more. He talked about it being a C facility; it could be a B or a C. Could he elaborate a little further about the guidelines, the parameters or designs on this facility, what a B or a C or a combination of B and C facility is?
Given the region, the location of this particular health centre, this would be what we would consider a level B-C facility, which is kind of a combination of both B and C facilities, recognizing some of the unique realities that a regional centre has. This facility will be very similar to the facility in Norman Wells, which is much larger than the facility they have now. It has more space for clinic rooms, as well as an emergency room, but will be providing the same services that are currently being provided in the existing health centre in Fort Simpson, but it will meet our technical and infection control protocols and standards, and it will be larger as a result.
I thank the Minister for the answer. This did clarify a few things a little bit better. So are they looking at additional services in there so we don't have to come to the major centre, or is there just going to be the status quo? We're going to continue to have to utilize the facility in Hay River and the one in Yellowknife?
As with all the facilities that we've built, including the ones that we're currently building, there is no addition of services being added to Fort Simpson. The facilities will provide us with the ability to provide services better, more effectively, safer, given the technology requirements of our health system as it stands today. So there will be no new or additional programs being added to Fort Simpson, which is consistent with the health centre in Norman Wells, which is consistent with the health centre in Fort Res, and the one we would be building in Tulita. The one difference is the health centre in Norman Wells does have an adjoining capacity for long-term care, but there are already are long-term care services in Simpson. We are looking at expanding those as well.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I thank the Minister for his answer. In regards to long-term care, can the Minister explain the existing facility? Are they looking at utilizing that as long-term care as well, because I know he keeps giving the numbers out there. It's over 200 at a certain - I think 225 or 226. Can the Minister please elaborate on that?
The current long-term care facility in Nahendeh is attached to the health centre in Fort Simpson. We do recognize that, by 2026, we will have a shortage in Fort Simpson for the region of 29 beds. I will verify that number for the Member, but I'm pretty confident that it's 29. So we have to include in our planning the ability to create 29 more beds. If we move forward with the health centre, there has been some discussion about expanding the long-term care facility on the existing site.
It's quite frankly a really beautiful site. It's got a river view. It's already a strong part of the community. So there is some value in having those discussions. But before we can commit to that, we obviously have to make sure that we can utilize that spot, so we're certainly looking at that existing location. We would want to build a building, or rather have a building that has a long life to it, so we would have to look at whether or not the pilings in the existing building would give us that long life or whether we would have to rebuild, or whether there's an option to rebuild portions and save portions.
We're confident that the long-term care facility that's there now has a long life. It's whether or not we can use the existing health centre to add or whether that would need to be replaced. We have to explore all the options, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
