Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the health Minister on an action plan for COVID-19 for my riding in Nunakput and all small communities across the territory. For isolation equipment, oxygen machines, portable oxygen machines, are they being sent into our communities? Do they have to be called out of Inuvik to be sent into the community? How does that work, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. All communities have the necessary personal protective equipment supplies on hand to respond to this virus and the infectious disease. It is important to remember that we work with all of our small communities, and important that it's not getting into the communities. The equipment in the communities, most of the equipment in the smaller communities is supplied, and we have measures out there. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to make sure that the communities across the territory, not only my riding, have portable health breathing equipment for them in regard to if anybody does get COVID-19, making sure our elders and that are properly cared for. I know that they're working hard. Our frontline staff are working hard, and just to make sure that equipment is in the community prior. Like I always say, it's better to be proactive than reactive.
As I mentioned, our health centres are equipped with the usual routine and emergency equipment.
Just in regard to the action plan in regard to the staffing, how does it work now in regard to where we are going to get our extra nurses from to provide services in case something happens in the community? Is there a special nursing team that's going to come in and help the nursing staff of the day, I guess, if anybody in the community has that? Is there a plan in place to make sure that our staff is not overworked and somebody is backing them up?
Our department has the emergency operation centre. The purpose of this is to provide the health and social services system response and recovery for emergency situations. The emergency operation centre includes representatives from the departments and the Health and Social Services Authority. This was activated on March 11th, and the centre has been meeting daily. A representative on the Emergency Operation Centre also works closely with MACA and the Territorial Planning Committee.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Again, with staffing, we have 33 communities, and not all communities have nursing stations. We have nursing stations, but no staff, such as Tsiigehtchic. For the next three months, are we going to be providing a nurse in Tsiigehtchic, and making sure that all of our nursing stations are properly complemented with nursing staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
In the community of Tsiigehtchic, we do have a nurse who comes in. I believe the schedule is twice a week. I'd like the Member to be aware that I've been talking with the MLA from the Mackenzie Delta on possibly extending this service in the interim, to have someone there more frequently. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife Centre.
