Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to pick up where my statement left off and focus my questions on rheumatoid arthritis, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister so I'll qualify my first question on this. Is the Minister aware of as to what program that supports rheumatoid arthritis exists in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I am aware of that the program that used to support the program in the Northwest Territories right now they everybody is having to travel to Alberta for that. There are discussions. I actually have a meeting in regards to this. It is ongoing work. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of over 300 people annually have to travel to Edmonton for those types of support services. Can the Minister either clarify or confirm that type of number in the context of volume and cost? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't confirm those numbers at this time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister is the Minister aware of how long the Northwest Territories has been absent of support services for rheumatoid arthritis given the fact that she had sat on the social development committee last term and is a nurse so she should be familiar with the concept of the program? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I did sit on the social development, and I am a past nurse, but that doesn't mean that I am aware of the operations when I was a Regular Member. As the Minister, I know that there are ongoing discussions on how to, you know, work with all of our specialty areas and trying to obtain specialists to come to the Northwest Territories. So this will mitigate having patients having to travel, and this work is ongoing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is it's been well over four or five years, which would have predated the Minister being elected to this House, but that said the important factor here is that regardless whether it's one year or four years is what initiative is the department of health doing to reestablish the services in the Northwest Territories. Given the fact that we're aware that the government plans to cut $150 million from the bottom line of programs and potential services, we need to know what they're doing. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are vacancies in a lot of our specialty areas, and there's work ongoing. There is many ways that the department is reaching out, working with southern practitioners to be able to come to the Northwest Territories. There are a lot of challenges, like we said, all over Canada and, you know, when we think of all of the different areas where we are not having specialists come here, the bottom line is that part is you know, even though we know that it is hard for the patients to have to travel, you know, and you know, but if the service is if we can't get the service here then we're not we're not preventing them from accessing those services. But the work is ongoing, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
