Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ve got questions today to the Minister of Health and Social Services. It goes back to my Member’s statement where I was talking about deficits that have been accruing specifically at Stanton, which is what I want to talk about today, but at other health authorities across the Northwest Territories.
Eighteen months ago the Minister came to committee and presented a plan that would see those deficits get back to zero. In fact, over the past 18 months deficits at not just Stanton but at other health authorities across the Northwest Territories are growing at an uncontrollable level and pace. I’d like to ask the Minister, over the past 18 months what is leading to increased deficits being run up at health authorities across the Northwest Territories.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As we have discussed on many different occasions in standing committee and in health information dialogue and in the health community, deficit is a common issue everywhere in Canada. Every jurisdiction is faced with rising health care costs, rising health care services, rising drug costs, equipment costs, labour costs and the demand of service. NWT is no exception.
Stanton Territorial Health Authority is a territorial body. Their deficit is not Stanton’s deficit per se, but it is a system deficit. Dr. Corkal, who is the medical director, and the CEO, Kay Louis, and the public administrator are tasked with this issue. They are working very closely together to see how we address and get to a complete and comprehensive plan. I’d be happy to work with the Members on the other side to make sure that we make prudent and very clear decisions that would minimize the impact on our residents, but that it shows a systematic change that will require courage and foresight and vision about how we go forward with respect to our health care.
Obviously this isn’t a new problem. It was a problem in the time I’ve been here, almost seven years; just over seven years. It was a problem two years ago when the Minister came forward with a plan to address it. She says there’s a plan being worked on today. How am I supposed to believe that the Minister and the government can come forward with a plan that’s workable? The one that she brought forward two years ago, they haven’t done anything with. In fact, things have gotten much, much worse.
When is this plan the Minister speaks of going to be presented to the Standing Committee on Social Programs so that they can see a way forward on fighting deficits at the health authorities across the Territories?
I’m sure the Member would appreciate that our overarching goal in this House cannot be about reducing the deficit to zero without understanding what the impacts of that would be. I don’t think the Member would support reducing or eliminating programs at Stanton that would impact our residents and the regions across the Territories.
It is important that we work as leaders of the Assembly and work with our health care partners and health care administrators to get advice from them on exactly where the cost drivers are, what are the things that we must have, what additional resources should we support them with, but what are the system efficiencies that we need to make decisions on. If that means moving some of the offices out of Stanton, if it means charging for parking or whatever else the Member mentioned, they have to be ranked with all of the other priorities.
These are very, very serious issues. Every day on the national media you cannot go a day without somebody talking about the pressure in the health care system. My part as the Minister is to make sure that I’m not trying to balance the budget for the sake of balancing the budget. That would not be the easiest, but it would be the most blunt way to do it. I think it’s important that we do it the right way so that we protect the core services and important services.
Going back to the plan that the Minister presented two years ago and talked about balancing budgets, I’m not sure exactly what she’s talking about. I’m not standing up here today suggesting that programs be cut, services be cut. I’m suggesting that we come up with a workable solution and a plan going forward.
I have a question that I don’t need a long, verbose answer to. I’d like to ask the Minister, is the department and Stanton Hospital, is there an intention to start charging people for parking at that hospital?
I am not aware of that plan. If there were, I would let the Member know.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Staying on the same line, looking for a short answer, how about for the utilization of television and phone services in patient rooms at Stanton Hospital? Will patients be charged for utilizing those services?
On the note of parking, there are lots of government buildings where the employees do pay for parking. That would be the kind of thing that administration would do on their own. I will get an update on that. I am not aware of patients being charged for TV or any other service, but I think anybody who has travelled to southern facilities, all those are charged. So I’d be happy to talk to the authority to see if there are plans like that or any other plan. It hasn’t come to my desk. I’ll share that with the Member when it does.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Nahendeh, Mr. Menicoche.
