Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I wanted to continue to question the Minister of Health and Social Services on some of the answers or non-answers that she provided to me earlier. I guess I’ll try it again.
I have mentioned the fact that I initially thought it was three weeks, but some of the other numbers I’ve heard are this goes back to the beginning of January. I was asking the Minister to provide me a date when elective surgeries were beginning to be delayed or cancelled. Can the Minister confirm or deny it was the first week of January? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. The honourable Minister of Health and Social Services, Ms. Lee.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I indicated that I did not know the exact date, but we have had delay and cancellation of elective surgeries in January and February. I do not know exactly what date, but I would be happy to get that for the Member. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that the Minister, even after questions yesterday, wouldn’t come to the House today fully prepared and briefed on this situation and on the issue at Stanton and be able to answer some questions. Specifically, a date when elective surgeries were delayed or cancelled, began to be delayed or cancelled. She’s got to know that date, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask her again was it the first week of January, Mr. Speaker? Thank you.
As I said, we have had cancellation of elective surgeries. Other surgeries are going on. We have had cancellation of elective surgeries in January and February. If the Member wants me to get back to him on the exact date, I would be happy to do that. I believe that’s the same question and I’m answering it for the second time. Thank you.
She’s not answering it for the second time. That’s the problem. Again, I’d like to understand and get a better understanding, I guess, of when that date is, because if it’s not three weeks and it’s six weeks, Mr. Speaker, that’s a bigger issue. If surgeries have been cancelled, they’re delayed for a period of six weeks and the Minister doesn’t know what the parts are, when they were ordered or when they’re going to show up, that’s another issue, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to ask the Minister when she might know what exactly these parts are and when they’re going to show up and when the surgeries at the hospital are going to be back up to being performed at the rate they were prior to the new year.
I’ve already made a commitment to get back to the Member on the exact description of this equipment. It’s the level of detail that I do not keep here, so I will get back to the Member on exactly what date and what equipment. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. Your final supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’ll try this question, I guess. Does the Minister have a date or a time frame in mind when things will be back to normal procedures and operations at Stanton when it comes to elective surgeries at that hospital? Thank you.
The CEO has indicated in the media, and I have indicated to the Member, that the reason for the cancellation of elective surgeries is because of the fact that they are waiting for this equipment, so I will get back to the Member as to what is the best information they have on the date by which they expect to have this equipment in. I don’t know if the Member knows the exact type of equipment, but I don’t think it’s really beyond one’s imagination to accept that there is some highly sophisticated equipment that is being used at the hospital that sometimes takes time to have their parts delivered. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Lee. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Centre, Mr. Hawkins.
