Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions again today are for the Minister of Health and Social Services, getting back to my Member’s statement.
I talked earlier about the growing deficits at both Stanton authority and other authorities around the Territories. Mr. Speaker, around this country, other provinces and territories are taking quite seriously the growing cost to deliver and provide health care services to their residents, and I just do not see the determination or the effort being put forward by our government when it comes to addressing these ever-growing costs. In fact, the way we manage through that is to just simply bail out authorities to the tune of millions and millions of dollars on an annual basis. It’s just not a way that we should move this forward.
I’d like to ask the Minister, the first question I have is: How am I and the residents of this Territory supposed to believe that the government is actually doing something when it comes to the growing cost to deliver health care for the residents here in the Northwest Territories? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I think the residents should be comfortable in knowing that their Minister of Health and Social Services and this government is working hard to look at our system and make system changes so that we make our health care system sustainable. We were also successful in obtaining $15 million from the federal government over the next two years. I have spearheaded bringing together western provincial Ministers of Health so that we look at group purchasing. I am also working with all of the chairs of the health authorities, because we now understand very clearly that sustainability for the health system is for the entire health system.
The deficit at Stanton is not a Stanton deficit; it’s a system deficit. We are redesigning business plan models so that we have the right sized budgets for every authority. We are reviewing the physician staffing model so that we use our physician resources better. We have also introduced the accountability framework so that all of the authorities now have a written contract in a way that they have not done before.
Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is our people expect us to be efficient and effective in our delivery of health care services. Our people have no tolerance for reducing essential service, so we are working very hard every day to make our system sustainable. Thank you.
I thank the Minister for that. I guess, you know, she said she’s leading the way on developing partnerships with western provinces on bulk purchasing of medical supplies and equipment. Last summer the governments of British Columbia and Alberta signed an agreement to co-purchase health care equipment. Just recently there was another agreement signed by the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan on bulk purchasing medical supplies and equipment. Where was the Government of the Northwest Territories, Mr. Speaker? Where was the Minister when it came time to sit down at the table and get in on these discussions on bulk purchasing? Thank you.
I called a meeting of all of the western provincial Health Ministers in Newfoundland. We had a meeting and on October 21st we signed the MOU as well. Thank you.
I’m having trouble understanding who the Minister signed the MOU with if these other provinces already have deals worked out with themselves. When is the Government of the Northwest Territories going to actively get involved and get in on a bulk purchasing plan with our neighbours to the south? Thank you.
The group purchasing of drugs and equipment is an initiative that’s going across the Territories. I’ve had discussions on that with the standing committee. All of the jurisdictions are looking to see how we could reduce costs of essential pharmaceuticals and equipment. This government is engaged in that. Premier Roland was part of that discussion among the First Ministers. We are also part of that agreement of the western provincial Health Ministers. We are part of that agreement. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I have a number of questions and perhaps I’ll get on the list again and hopefully get another set of questions. I’d like to ask the Minister, if we’re part of the agreement already, are we today bulk purchasing with the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Mr. Speaker? Is that true? Thank you.
We are part of that group. We are working with other Ministers. It’s a highly complicated process. Yes, we are part of that group. We are part of the agreement. We are a part of the partners and I chaired that meeting and we handed it over to Manitoba as of September. Mr. Speaker, we are doing the right thing. I am giving the Member an answer. Yes, we are very much a part of that. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
