Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, recently, all outpatient laboratory services in Yellowknife have been moved to the Stanton Hospital. Along with this change, came a new protocol for accessing lab work. Mr. Speaker, a constituent of mine visited the hospital to try this new process and didn't have the most positive experience.
They first tried the method of just showing up at the lab as suggested on the website. They were told that this was not actually an option, and they had to call to book an appointment or come back the next day for a same-day appointment. They called and were told the next available appointment was three and a half weeks from now. They couldn't wait that long, so they asked for the same-day appointment process and heeded that advice. They accordingly showed up at Stanton Hospital at 6:30 a.m. in the morning to ensure they got a spot. At 7:00 a.m., the front reception desk opened up, and they registered. By 7:30 a.m. when the lab opened, there were already 18 people in line for the 20 available same-day appointments. After getting their appointment time, they left to return later on and thankfully did eventually get the blood work done that they needed.
However, Mr. Speaker, I cannot imagine many people having the time or ability to engage in the process I just detailed whenever they have lab work to be done. My constituent had to wait for their partner to come back from work travel to be able to go to the early morning lineup because they can't leave their kids alone for the entire morning in advance of school. I am concerned this new process is going to be a barrier for a single mother, elderly person, someone with ability challenges, or any other person with vulnerabilities or life demands that are going to override their capacity to engage in this process. I suspect there were a number of people who were already struggling to go directly to the labs after the medical appointment. This additional barrier is going to make things more challenging for them.
Mr. Speaker, MLAs often make statements fighting for change in our health care system but in this case, I think we have an example where change has caused new problems rather than solving one. I hope we can quickly work through the growing pains on this one and get to a place where people are receiving medical service in a reasonable and, most importantly, accessible way. That is one of our priorities after all. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I will have questions for the Minister later today.
Thank you, Member from Frame Lake. Members' statements. Member from Range Lake.
