Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm not questioning the medical care that patients receive once they get to the hospital. You know, we have one of the best medical systems in the world. But my colleagues and I, and it's an argument that we've had for a long time, it's the actual getting to the hospital part is where we have concerns with. My understanding is that the authorization now for medical travel is made out of Yellowknife, referred to by Inuvik. So I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services, where did this direction come from to authorize medical travel out of Yellowknife and take it out of the regions? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Mr. Miltenberger.

Return To Question 494-15(4): Medical Travel Policies And Procedures

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It came from me. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Minister. Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 494-15(4): Medical Travel Policies And Procedures

Michael McLeod

Deh Cho

So the authorization came from the Minister, he states. So I'd like to know, who gave the Minister his direction. Did he consult with the regions? I think that to say the decision came from him, I'd like to ask, then, who did the Minister get his direction from? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Minister Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 494-15(4): Medical Travel Policies And Procedures

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the rationale for that decision was based on efficiencies; it was based on the need for coordination; it was based on the fact that we found out at one point, a year or so ago, that we had paid for over 1,800 bed days in Capital Health out in Edmonton for services that could have been provided out of Stanton, because without the coordination that we currently have in place, Stanton was routinely overflown as a result of referrals made by the different authorities and the different communities. This was part of our review of how we do business. We were working with the senior managers, the board chairs from all the authorities, and one of the directions that came out of that and that I approved and agreed to was the need to coordinate travel in the North and South to make sure that we used our facilities to the best possible way and we didn't pay twice for services that we already have. Thank you.

Thank you, Minister Miltenberger. Final supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 494-15(4): Medical Travel Policies And Procedures

Michael McLeod

Deh Cho

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thanks to the Minister for a little clearer answer. I agree with the Minister that coordination is a big part of it. I wasn't questioning sending the patients south to the city, my questions were based on sending people to Yellowknife and that seems to be where there's a real lack of communication, Mr. Speaker. Too many people are being left out in the cold when they get to Yellowknife. They're sitting at the airport for three hours. We can talk for hours on the stories we hear. So I'd like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services to demand his department improve the lines of communication so we don't have elders sitting at the airport waiting out in the cold. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Miltenberger.

Further Return To Question 494-15(4): Medical Travel Policies And Procedures

Michael Miltenberger

Thebacha

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate and note the Member's concern, and I want to assure the Member that we work every day to try to make sure we provide the highest level of service possible. When there are circumstances that happen where the systems may not have worked appropriately, we backtrack on those and we try to take the steps necessary to make sure that, in fact, services are provided. I would like to point out that, yes, there are times when things don't work and those are unfortunate, but the vast majority of time, medical travel works in a good, efficient way. But in the cases like the one the Member's mentioned, we are looking at it to make sure that while we can't change the past, that we learn from it and try to improve service for the future. Thank you.