Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions today are for the Minister of Health. I didn’t make a Member’s statement because he has already heard my issues. He’s heard about the lack of full-time doctors in Hay River. He’s heard the interest in the nurse practitioners and the need for midwifery. My question is: With the department’s lack of flexibility in funding, has the department come up with any solution for the health authorities to allow flexibility in these types of areas in funding these positions?
Thank you, Mr. Bouchard. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Physician funding is restricted by the Financial Management Board, so that funding is not used elsewhere. However, we are making a business case for three authorities including the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority, to the Financial Management Board to create flexibility within physician funding.
My next question along those lines, is on their business case. When can we expect this business case to go towards FMB and get some results?
We will have the business case completed by December 31, 2012.
My next question is along the lines of would this be implanted for the upcoming year starting April 1st of the year 2013-2014 financials.
If the business case is approved by the Financial Management Board, we’re hoping that the flexibility will be built into the funding by April 1st the following fiscal year, so April 1st during the 2013-2014 fiscal year is when we hope to have the flexibility built into the funding.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final supplementary, Mr. Bouchard.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m just wondering if the flexibility in this funding is the department’s solution for funding midwifery in the authorities, or do they actually have other plans for additional funding.
We’re not thinking about paying for midwifery by building flexibility into the physician funding. That would be presented to the Legislative Assembly as an increase to O and M when the Midwifery Program is ready to go ahead in Hay River.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
