Debates of October 29, 2004 (day 31)

Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. My question is also directed to the Minister of Health and Social Services with regards to the lack of medical detox facilities in Yellowknife and other communities. I just want to ask the Minister if he can tell us, the Members, and the public in general, in the five-year capital acquisition plan of the GNWT, going up to 2008 or 2009, there is approximately $60 million that is allocated for capital infrastructure requirements. That is not counting all this extra money that they are getting out of the federal government when the new health care reform comes through. I am just wondering if the Minister would consider or why is he not considering putting a formal medical detox centre on the capital acquisition plan in the next five years. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to have that debate about the best approach, the numbers, the need, and is it the best course of action and the best investment to build a separate, standalone facility, or is it best to look at expanding the service at Stanton, and what is possible in Hay River, Inuvik and Fort Smith. The money that is allocated in the capital plan is clearly identified for urgent capital projects across the Northwest Territories. We have yet to find out the final numbers of what is available from the federal government for the new health care money. When that comes in, of course, we will be considering this issue along with many others in terms of how to best spend whatever funds may be available. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not sure really what the Minister’s sense of urgency is, but, to me, I think this is a very urgent matter, and I think it is something that should be a real priority for the Department of Health on healing facilities and treatment programs that are available to residents, especially residents of Yellowknife that already have a large influx of people coming in all the time every year and the population is steadily growing. With regard to one of the facilities that does offer some kind of assistance to people who are looking for treatment for their addictions, there is the Salvation Army. I know that the clients who are treated over there are treated through referrals by corrections services and the self-admitted people who are going there for treatment on their own is double that, but there is no funding allocated for that and there is no funding provided by this government for the self-admitting program. I was just wondering if the Minister could let me know and the other Members and the public know why, if he is looking at outside sources of treatment and not a standalone system, why doesn’t the government provide more funding, or any funding for that matter, for that program. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in fact, we do have arrangements with the Salvation Army. In fact, the Salvation Army now is approved for medical travel as well, which it hasn’t been in the past. I would be happy to provide the Members the detail of the various contractual arrangements we have with the Salvation Army. I would also like to acknowledge the work that they do, and that they are a very valuable resource. We are relying on them more and more because of their skills and abilities. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. Supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know what kind of new contractual arrangements the government made with the Salvation Army, but I was speaking with the program director yesterday. She just informed me that all of the people who are self-admitted won’t get any funding for this and neither does the Tree of Peace. There was an announcement in this House last year recognizing the Salvation Army as a legitimate treatment centre, and they even received a letter just confirming that recognition, but I would be glad to see that the Minister is going to provide some information with regard to what kind of contractual arrangements that they have been ironing out over the past year.

Just with respect to the Somba K’e Healing Centre that was shut down in 1999, Mr. Speaker, and has been closed for a few years now, I know that this government still pays the mortgage on that facility, which has been sitting empty for a number of years now. I was just talking with the ex-manager who used to run that place. He was given assurances by the Department of Health and Social Services that this place wouldn’t close. They closed it six months later. I just want to know what the Minister is planning on doing to maybe revisit the issue and revisit the possibility of renovating it, not spending an exorbitant amount of money, but I think that it is something to consider.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my recollection of the history of the Somba K’e is that they had an arrangement with Corrections Canada that was severed and that they were looking around for an alternate way to get funding. We did look at the facility. We did have people take a look at it from a technical and structural point of view initially for the possibility of a childcare facility. What came back was a number to bring the building up to appropriate code both structurally and from a program point of view of over $3 million, which exceeded the budget we had available to do renovations at the current facility. So we did take a look at that. I had a number of meetings with the Member for Weledeh and the board members from Somba K’e to look at an alternate use and what could be done to try to assist them in putting that facility to productive use. So we have made our efforts. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. A very short supplementary, Mr. Villeneuve.

Supplementary To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess maybe what I am looking at with the new funding arrangements this government has been coming across now with this new election in place and stuff, I am just wondering if the Minister can give the public some indication as to his commitment to see that this problem is near epidemic and is not going to escalate any more than what it’s coming to right now and that he will look into the possibility of having a standalone management facility that deals strictly with that drug addiction. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 342-15(3): Planning For A Medical Detoxification Facility

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the term “near epidemic” has been used a number of times. I have seen it in the press, as well. The suggestion is that our response is going to be to just try to fix people once they are addicted. I would suggest that that is an incomplete response, that, very clearly, with the influx of drugs, there has to be a comprehensive response, trying to limit access, trying to convince people not to use it, trying to crack down on the people who are selling it as opposed to just focusing the attention on accepting the reality and let’s just try to fix people once they are addicted. I don’t think that is the intent of anybody in this House. I think we need that kind of broad discussion to look at that kind of comprehensive response. Thank you.