Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Earlier today I made a statement in terms of kidney disease and how it affects the human body system, but more so to try to highlight people’s knowledge of a very critical part of the human body and how it is a disease that can affect one’s health. My question is to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
What is Deh Cho Health and Social Services doing in the small communities to raise awareness of kidney disease and how to avoid it? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are working with the health and social services authorities right across the region. We are compiling some diabetes work which will be completed this month, or I suppose has been completed, and we’re trying to put the rest of the program together to expand out. We did the pilot projects in Norman Wells and the Yellowknife Health and Social Services, and Tlicho Community Services Agency in Behchoko, and the intention is to try to develop a diabetes program that can be applied right across the territory to all of the communities in the NWT. Thank you.
How does the department get the information to people whose first language is an Aboriginal language, mainly in Slavey for my part of the region? I also recognize this is an official language in the NWT.
Mr. Speaker, definitely, language and culture is a huge part of our diabetes work. In fact, we work with the home care…(inaudible)…Canadian Health under the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative. We get funding from that and the work is more or less in the chronic disease prevention. So this is the work we do. We specifically get money for the Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative, so language and culture would be very important in the delivery of that specific program. Thank you.
How prepared are small community nursing stations to diagnose and monitor kidney disease, especially in small communities? Mahsi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In the case of where diabetes gets to a point where there is dialysis needed, as an example, we have a couple of options. They have dialysis in Yellowknife, Hay River, Fort Smith and I believe we have dialysis in Inuvik, although I don’t know that specifically off the top of my head. In addition to that there are people who have diabetes in small communities who cannot travel to these centres, like the requirement to have the dialysis three times a week. Sometimes the other option is to train members of their family to assist them right in their hometown. We have some of that as well. As far as preparedness goes, I suppose, as they try to train through home care they provide assistance to people to deal with diabetes, as prepared as they can be for the onset of diabetes.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final supplementary, Mr. Nadli.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The major push for this Assembly is to try to put some preventative programs to ensure northern residents live a healthier lifestyle. The Minister indicated that there are pilot projects in several communities to become more aware of the affliction of kidney disease and ensure that it remains healthy. He’s also stated the programs that more likely will be unveiled at some point. Can the Minister tell exactly when those programs may be delivered?
As a result of the program, the plan is to release the final evaluation next month in April 2013. Then in collaboration with the chronic disease management people, we’re hoping that once we release the report that we will start to develop a framework through the Healthy Choices Framework and Health Promotion to start to deliver the program soon after that. I would anticipate that sometime this summer or this fall we will roll out the programs as a result of those pilots that we had run.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
