Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I just want to follow up on my Fort Liard health care issues that I spoke about in my Member’s statement. My question is for the Minister of Health and Social Services.
I had previously raised the issue about how the residents of Fort Liard feel that their health needs would be best served if they were able to travel over to the Fort Nelson, B.C., hospital. Some of it, Mr. Speaker, is just for tests, exams, even minor day surgery. Right now, they currently have to spend two days travelling to get to Yellowknife and return home and have to throw in the travelling over Highway No. 7, of course, there, Mr. Speaker.
I’d like to ask the Minister, once again, one of the biggest reasons, over time, that they wouldn’t look at it is because we had an agreement with the Capital Health Authority of Alberta. That’s not in existence anymore. I don’t know what the agreement is there. However, to me, and for my constituents, I think it’s an opportunity for us to talk with the British Columbia Minister of Health on a similar agreement for services in Fort Nelson, B.C., Mr. Speaker. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. The honourable Minister responsible for Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The issue on this, I don’t believe, has to do with an agreement with Capital Health necessarily. It is true that when NWT residents need health care not available in the Territories, we usually go to Alberta and Edmonton, and it used to be called Capital Health, which now is Alberta Health. The issue here about the residents of Liard wanting to go to Nelson instead of Simpson or Stanton and then Edmonton, if that’s required, is that we already have a facility in Simpson and Stanton that we are paying for. If our residents are going to Nelson, then that’s extra cost that we need to incur. I realize that it is much more convenient for them to go down the street, but from what we know of what’s offered in Nelson is comparable, or it is not beyond what will be available either in our health centre in Simpson or at Stanton. It is a question of us having to use, or should use, our NWT resources first. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly have the confidence and acknowledge the confidence of our health authority and staff. However, residents of Fort Liard feel they are better served if they can just make the two-hour drive over to Fort Nelson, B.C. for some of the minor things. I am not talking about a highly complex arrangement with the ministry of Health in B.C. or else their northern health authority, just the ability to go to quick exams, X-rays, et cetera. Anything major will certainly be identified. Can the Minister at least analyze this? I am certain that there will be a cost savings, Mr. Speaker. Is the Minister at least willing to analyze it and see if it can indeed be a possibility? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I believe we did look into this, as the Member has brought this forward before. The variable in the cost that we need to look at is that we already pay for staffing the facility, the X-ray machine and we have just invested in DI/PACS and other electronic health equipment in Simpson, for example, for the entire Deh Cho region. Whether 10 people use it or 100 people use it in a month, there are fixed costs involved in this facility. It is the same with Stanton. If a number of residents decide to go down and use a B.C. facility, it results in us paying twice for the same service, so to speak. The second thing is that when you use out-of-town or out-of-jurisdiction service, the money B.C. charges us for same services are a lot higher than what they would charge their own residents.
Mr. Speaker, I would undertake to give the Member more information, but I just want the Member to know that there are many variables in doing the cost-benefit analysis. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I certainly would like to see some of the analysis that she is talking about, because I am not really convinced that a thorough analysis was done. If the Minister will share that with me, and also I would just let her know that that is something I would like to share with residents of Fort Liard and the band council, the Metis Council as well as the Hamlet Council and maybe advise me, too, what she doesn’t want to share. I don’t believe I have actually seen that analysis, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much.
Mr. Speaker, I will undertake to do that. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As well, the Minister spoke about enhanced services and enhanced equipment. I know that those are just new to the Dehcho Health and Social Services, new to Fort Liard and new to Fort Simpson. What would be a good time period for her to assess how well the new equipment is working and helping with the services in the communities and regions? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, as the Member knows, we have busily rolled out the equipment into almost all communities in our Territories. We are training and we are introducing this new technology to staff and the residents because we need to get a buy-in from the people. I could assure the Member that we are evaluating the use of it. We are keeping track of data. I would be happy to share that with the Member in due course, hopefully three to six months after that equipment comes into use. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Weledeh, Mr. Bromley.
