Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My question is directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It’s in regard to my Member’s statement on the lack of services in a lot of our communities, especially core services like health care services such as nurses, mental health workers, alcohol and drug workers.
I think it’s very important that this government take this issue seriously. It is having a direct effect not only on our communities but on this government’s ability to deliver other programs and services, as we can see with the major deficits we’re running in different hospitals in different regions.
I’d like to ask the Minister exactly what her department is doing to deal with these core service issues, where we’re finding that we don’t physically have people in our health centres by way of nurses, mental health workers, alcohol and drug workers. What has the department done to deal with this issue? I’ve raised it here for going on years and years and years.
Thank you, Mr. Krutko. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Specifically to McPherson and Tsiigehtchic, I have committed to the Member to make sure that the mental health and addictions funding for the community is reinstated. I know the community has been in need of that. I made that commitment, and I’ve advised the Member that I directed the department to work with the Beaufort-Delta health authority to see what options we have to extend the nursing coverage in Tsiigehtchic. I was in the community, and that was of concern to the community.
Now, on the larger picture, the Member knows there are lots of things at play in the way we are experiencing the shortage of nurses and doctors in communities. I committed to the Member and the Standing Committee on Social Programs to look at all options available to see how we go forward to enhance the services in any way we can.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Time for question period has expired; however, I will allow the Member a supplementary question. Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is not only affecting my constituency; it’s affecting other regions throughout the Northwest Territories. We have some 28 communities that are struggling with health care systems. We have ten communities that don’t have policing or in some cases a nurse in those communities. I think it’s important that we realize this is a challenge we have to face. Realistically, it comes down to quality of health care and services to all people in the Northwest Territories.
I know you’re going to go around and have consultations and everything else, but for me that’s just another way of not doing anything. I’d just like to ask the Minister: how soon can the residents in the Mackenzie Delta — Tsiigehtchic, McPherson and wherever else — actually see physical bodies in our communities?
I was not suggesting that I was going to engage in any consultation. The fact is that McPherson has a nursing station and residence and nurses there. Tsiigehtchic has nursing service. It’s just that the nurses visit, I believe, once a week or every second week or so. We are working with Beaufort-Delta to extend the nursing coverage in Tsiigehtchic. I have asked them to give me all options possible, and I have committed to the Member that I will have an answer for him by the next business plan meeting, which is in November.
Again, that is not health service that would improve the quality of life in communities. Having someone go into a community for a couple of hours once a week, in some cases once a month, is not medical service. I don’t know which part of that picture the Minister doesn’t get, but that, to me, is basically not services. I want to actually physically see a nurse operating out of the health centres in our communities. We have built health centres throughout the Northwest Territories, health centres that should be managed by a health professional in that community.
When can we expect to actually see the health professionals working out of those health centres that this government has spent millions of dollars to establish in our communities? When can we functionally see our health centres operating in our communities?
As the Member is well aware, the health centres and health care programs are being delivered by Beaufort-Delta health authority. The department is working really closely with them to look at all the funding available and see how we could help, from the department level, to enhance the nursing services in Tsiigehtchic. We do have a shortage of nurses everywhere. I know the Member wanted me to see if the visiting nurse at Tsiigehtchic could spend more time there. I am looking at that option, and I will get back to the Member as soon as I can.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Krutko.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s been six years since the community of Tsiigehtchic has had a nurse in that community. Six years. If you pulled that off anywhere in Yellowknife — shut down one of their clinics for a week — you’d have a protest on your hands. It’s been six years since a nurse has been based in that community for any long period of time. For me, that is the issue we’re dealing with here today.
I’d like to ask the Minister: do you have any idea when they can physically see a nurse in the community of Tsiigehtchic, since they’ve been waiting six years?
I understand that there was a nurse about five years ago, and that nurse moved to Hay River. Since then Tsiigehtchic has had a visiting nurse. The Member has been keeping me informed of the situation from day one. I am absolutely doing everything I can to extend the nursing coverage there. I have directed the department to work with Beaufort-Delta to enhance the services in Tsiigehtchic. That is a commitment I can give. I cannot give an exact date of when that’s going to happen, but I’ve committed to the Member to get back to him on that.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Item 8, written questions. Item 9, petitions. The honourable Member for Kam Lake, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I request unanimous consent to return to item 7, oral questions.
The Member is seeking unanimous consent to go back to item 7, oral questions.
Unanimous consent granted.
Return to Item 7, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
