Debates of May 29, 2018 (day 31)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, earlier I spoke about the plight of dialysis patients, not just from Hay River North or Hay River South but from across this territory, who must relocate to Yellowknife to receive the life-saving treatment that they need. In the South Slave, we have a beautiful dialysis centre in Hay River, a wonderful staff, and I hear nothing but good things coming from there. I spoke of the costs of housing people in Yellowknife, taking them away from their home, taking them away from their families, and the emotional and physical toll this can have on them. So, given all this, has the department looked at the business case for increasing staff at the Hay River Regional Health Centre in the dialysis unit so we can keep people in their homes? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for his question. Dialysis is an important service that is provided to residents of the Northwest Territories. In the Northwest Territories, we have the ability to provide dialysis in two communities. That is the hemodialysis. We also support peritoneal dialysis, which can be done at individuals' homes and individuals' communities.

To the Member's point, I hear the Member loud and clear. I agree with the Member. We need to do more to provide those services close to home. We would prefer not to have people coming from Hay River to Yellowknife when that service is provided in Hay River. Before we move forward with considering expanding the service in Hay River, we need to make sure that we are benefitting from the other opportunities that exist for us, such as the peritoneal dialysis, which can be done in the people's homes at home, and other options, whether it is a treatment in Hay River and then a treatment in Yellowknife offset by peritoneal dialysis. I am totally saying that wrong every time I say it, and I accept that.

There is a lot of work we have to go here. I hear the Member, and we are prepared to start that work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I think it is a pretty easy decision, given the numbers that I quoted earlier. It is about $200 a night, from my understanding, to put someone up in a boarding home. That is about $73,000 a year. There are always a handful of people from Hay River and, I am sure, surrounding communities in Yellowknife. We can get them their own apartments in Yellowknife so that they at least have some privacy if they are there.

I have heard of people being in Vital Abel for years on end. That is not a very comfortable way for our elders to live. Has the government looked at different ways to house dialysis patients who have to come to Yellowknife for these long stretches of time?

This is an area where there is currently a policy gap that we are actually working on. We have done some medical relocations as a result of things like dialysis, and we are certainly open to that on a case-by-case basis until we re-fix that policy.

Having said that, yes, we do have individuals stay at the Vital Abel House. If they are staying for extended periods of time, the option does exist for them to go out and get their own accommodations or stay with family or other things, at which point we would provide $68 a day, which equates to just over $2,000 a month that eligible residents of the Northwest Territories can utilize. If we have a patient from Hay River who is coming up for an extended period of time, they simply have to have a discussion with us about not staying at the Vital Abel, collecting their $68 a month, and finding accommodations which are more appropriate and suitable for them for long-term stays.

That sounds like a heck of a deal for the government. They would save $4,000 a month that way. The problem is: these people go up for dialysis, and they are told, "You might be here for a year. You might be here for two months. We don't know. We have to wait until a spot opens up."

I will take a play from the Member for Nahendeh's playbook. I will ask the Minister again: will the Minister look at different ways of housing these dialysis patients in Yellowknife?

I will say it again: we are doing exactly that. We can make $68 a day, which works out to over $2,000 a month, which is a lot of money, for someone to rent out private accommodations and purchase food. We are looking at providing more options in Hay River. Hay River has indicated that we would like to explore other ways to provide dialysis, whether that is through some dialysis in Yellowknife and some dialysis in Hay River so people can be closer to home, offset by the peritoneal dialysis where appropriate.

Mr. Speaker, I hear the Member. I get what the Member is saying. We are working on this, and we are going to find some solutions. The Member is insistent on referencing the $73,000, which is his calculation, but the Member does know that, in this House, money is allocated from particular sources. In this particular case, those dollars are coming out of medical travel. If we want to put new positions in Hay River and expand the service, we have to go through a business planning process, build the business case, which means we have to demonstrate that we have explored all opportunities. I am simply saying that is what we are doing in Hay River. When we find a solution, we will make the investment where appropriate.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I failed to mention in my last question that it is hard for someone to sign a lease for a year if they are told they are going to be there for maybe a year, maybe a couple months. That is part of the issue. I appreciate what the Minister is saying. I look forward to moving some money around so we can get this issue dealt with.

I have heard in the past that there have been situations where a patient might stay a couple of weeks in Hay River and receive dialysis and then a couple of weeks up in Yellowknife. There is an alternating schedule so people at least get to see their friends and family every once in a while. Are there any situations like that that the Minister has contemplated moving forward? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

We are open to any scenario, any options that exist to ensure that our residents are getting the best care they can as close to home as possible. Every situation is different. Every individual is unique. There are individuals who are on dialysis who are receiving a different degree of treatment than others. In some cases, providing treatment in Hay River and then in Yellowknife and then somewhere else may or may not be appropriate. In short, we are always looking for options. Every case is unique. There is no one policy that is going to fit all for all patients. We need to be open to options. Mr. Speaker, we are. Thank you.

Masi. Oral questions. Member for Kam Lake.