Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I just want to ask the Minister of Health some questions on the replacement of the Fort Simpson Health Centre. I’d just like to ask exactly what is the process right now for the Fort Simpson Health Centre. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been dealing with the infrastructure people at Health and Social Services, and I’ve recognized that we’re, I think, at the very, very initial stages of looking at the health centre replacement in Fort Simpson. I don’t think it’s scheduled to be replaced within the next five years. Thank you.
Maybe I’ll ask the Health Minister to provide me the detail. I know that we have scheduled some planning study. I think it was for ‘13-14. If the Minister can confirm that, because I know that the facility did get an assessment by Public Works and Services saying that the planning study must be started soon.
Within the planning study, the department has allocated somewhere between $250,000 and $300,000 to complete a planning study. The planning study is scheduled to be finished by March 31st, this year.
If I can ask the Minister to provide me as much detail as he can with regard to the planning study, because I don’t want to be in a situation where we got… I heard through the grapevine that some beds might be reduced or we may not get a replacement facility but a much smaller facility. If the Minister can provide me as much detail, I’d like to see that.
I can keep the Member in the loop. There is no issue there. I’m hoping that this is a facility that will retain at least the number of beds that are in there, whether it’s the acute care or the long-term care beds, that the facility will be at least the size of the facility that is there now. Because the population of the people all across the country is not… The population is getting older and we do need that facility to be up to pace and not scheduled to go down. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Once again, I would like to see any planning studies or anything the Minister can share with me before the March 31st completion date, I would really appreciate it, as well as hopefully have an opportunity to come visit Nahendeh during that time as well. Mahsi.
Mr. Speaker, if the planning study is on schedule, is completed by March 31st, I will provide the planning study to the Member. I can also have the people responsible for the planning study engage the Member. Yes, after March 31st and we’ve had an opportunity to review the planning study, I will accompany the Member to his riding. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
