Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services. With the new health transformation right now, four communities that I represent all go through the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority. However, Fort Resolution is in close proximity to Hay River. Right now, people have to go from Fort Resolution to Hay River, get on a plane early in the morning, come here for appointments, possibly overnight and then back to Fort Resolution.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we finalize all the details needed to move forward incorporating all the different components of the health system into one authority as part of health transformation, residents will be able to go anywhere in the Northwest Territories that they choose to go for health services. So, if we have residents in Fort Resolution who wish to see a doctor in Hay River, there's nothing stopping them from doing that.
We do encourage people to go to their local provider first. For example, somebody in Fort Resolution, if they're looking for health services, should obviously go to their Fort Resolution health centre. If they're referred out, they could be referred to a large number of places, depending on what it is that they're trying to get. If it's MRI, we're going to refer them to Edmonton. If it's a specialty physician they're going to likely go to Yellowknife; unless it happens to be one of the specialty services that is not provided in the Northwest Territories, at which point they would be referred to Edmonton. If they're looking to see a GP, there's no reason why we couldn't refer them to Hay River.
We do need to make sure that those memorandums of understanding and agreement between the territorial authority and Hay River, which we are working on; Hay River is participating and working with us to develop those memorandums of understanding. I will find out where we are with respect to allowing or supporting a referral from Fort Resolution to Hay River for the services that happen to be in Hay River, but where there aren't services in Hay River, they are going to have to be referred to somewhere else. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
I thank the Minister for that response. I guess I am just looking for a bit of a timeframe on that. I know that many of my constituents, unofficially, do go to doctors in Hay River, when the doctors are in Hay River, or see the local, if there are local doctors. I am wondering, when this all becomes official, anybody from anywhere in the NWT can see any doctor anywhere in NWT; I am wondering when that would be in full effect?
We are in Canada. Regardless of where you go, as a Canadian citizen, to receive health services they are covered through reciprocal billing. In the Northwest Territories, if somebody from Fort Resolution made the personal choice to go see a practitioner in Hay River today, there is nothing stopping them from doing that.
When the system kicks in, whether or not somebody is going to get support, say through something like medical travel, it would have to be based on a referral. There is nothing stopping residents from Fort Resolution going to see a doctor in Yellowknife or going to see a doctor in Hay River. If they receive a referral to go out for services outside of their community, that is when something like medical travel would kick in. If you are making a choice to go to Hay River or making a choice to go to Yellowknife to see a practitioner that would be on your dime, not on medical travel. I am not sure if that is what the Member is getting at, but that is the way it is set up.
That is sort of what I am looking for. Right now, if a patient presents in Fort Resolution at the health centre then the referral is to Yellowknife. My question was that if a person presents at the health centre, is it an easy possibility for them, today, if their medical travel would be covered today to get referred to a doctor if there is a general practitioner in Hay River?
I really want to say yes, but it really depends on the nature of the condition on which the person is presenting. If it is a condition where they need to see a GP, but they don't need to see a GP today or tomorrow or even next week, it could be rescheduled for their own community, for when the GP is coming in. If the individual is presenting with a more serious condition that needs immediate attention, it could be that they are referred to a specialist or a particular type of practitioner in Yellowknife. If that particular type of practitioner exists in Hay River, conceivably they could be referred there, but it really depends on what the condition of the individual is.
As far as the appointments and having regular appointments in Hay River, I will check where we are with our memorandums of understanding and agreement to see what is available as far as referrals. If the person has a condition that can't be dealt with in Hay River, they would not be referred to Hay River. They might have to fly through Hay River or drive through Hay River to fly to another location, which I know can be frustrating, but we need to send them to where the services are.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, for the benefit of my constituents from Fort Resolution, I want to ask the Minister if he could tell me when he anticipates this coming into effect, and if, in fact, currently, the services in Hay River, if the health and social services medical travel policy could travel individuals from Fort Resolution to travel to Hay River to see a doctor at the services there? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, with respect to services currently provided in Hay River, I believe those agreements are already in place; I will confirm that for the Member. As far as medical travel, medical travel will cover any of our northern residents if they are referred to a service in a different community. If they are referred to a service that is in Hay River, and it has to be a service that is in Hay River, medical travel would apply obviously. If the service is not available in Hay River, medical travel would apply to the point where it is available recognizing our protocols. Our agreements are with Alberta. At this point, it would require you to go to an institution in Alberta or Stanton if Stanton is where the service happens to be. I will confirm where our relationships are with respect to memorandums of agreement and understanding with the Hay River authority at this point. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.
