Mr. Speaker, as the territory speaks of transitioning from pandemic to endemic, it’s important that we as Northerners understand what this means. There will be timelines for eased restrictions and the eventual dismantling of the COVID Secretariat. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to understand what it means for the GNWT healthcare system and services to residents. Although an endemic is supposed to mean some stability of transmission, hospitalizations and death, the virus will continue to circulate, and can still be widespread and deadly.
Here in the North we are already familiar with endemic diseases. The NWT rate of tuberculosis is twice the national average. In 2020, 10 million people worldwide contracted TB and 1.5 million people died. Just like TB, COVID will still require ongoing management and resources, but I question how our health system will move forward and return to normal when we have not really yet accepted that the definition of "normal" has changed.
Health and Social Services will still need to support people with COVID while managing vaccinations and resourcing testing in a system that has seen the burnout and exodus of healthcare workers. Canadians en mass are waiting for elective surgeries, access to specialists, testing and treatment requirements of cancers, chronic disease, and STIs, and a surge in addiction and mental health support needs.
In addition, special treatment programs like audiology, speech pathology, physiotherapy and occupational therapy appointments put off over the last two years will further bottleneck our already fragile healthcare system.
The catch up, Mr. Speaker, will take years and some national experts speculate that the Canadian healthcare system may never catch up.
Although COVID has brought new lessons and opportunities in virtual care, the time has come for us to get creative with recruitment, support holistic partnerships, and spread the responsibility of community care.
Mr. Speaker, we need a plan and we need to talk about this. Residents need to be included in the conversation about how health policy and personal choices will lead us out of this state of emergency and what the word "endemic" will mean for our healthcare here in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Members' statements. Member for Nunakput.
