Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have follow-up questions from my statement yesterday. As I mentioned yesterday, the community of Tsiigehtchic in our ministerial tour echoed the need for a full-time nurse in the community, so I would like to ask the Minister of Health and Social Services: as I mentioned, the community wants to know when we will have a full-time nurse in Tsiigehtchic. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time, there are no plans to put a full-time nurse into the community of Tsiigehtchic. We do get the public health nurse into the community for one day a week. We have physicians travelling to the community every four or five months. The community has access to services provided in other communities in cases of emergencies, including Fort McPherson and Inuvik. They have supports through the Med-Response team that can support the community health worker in the community in times of crisis. Most importantly, we are working on that pilot that we have referenced several times, to provide emergency response and emergency care in the community of Tsiigehtchic. We have been working very closely with the community. I understand that we are just finalizing phase 2 and that there will be training in the community on the 25th of February, to train local people to provide some of that emergency response in the times of crisis.
I recall as I lived in the community in the mid-90s we did have a full-time nurse in the community, so what has changed since that time? Why do we not have a nurse now?
I was not living in the community, and I certainly was not in this position back then, so I cannot speak for the decisions of the day, but I know that we have a certain criteria for putting nurses in communities, which include size of community, access to services, co-location with RCMP, those types of things. However, as technology changes, Mr. Speaker, the provision of our services can evolve, and we are certainly learning more as we go. The community is continuing to evolve. There may be a situation where it is appropriate to put a full-time nurse in that community, but, with the supports we have today and with the enhancement of this pilot project, I think we should assess that pilot, see how it works out, and then continue to question whether or not it's appropriate to move a position in there on a full-time basis. As a note, Mr. Speaker, we do put a full-time nurse in that community for freeze-up and break-up, so I think there are two periods of about a couple of weeks where there are full-time nurses in that community.
We look forward to those times when we do have that full-time nurse, so why doesn't the department just can expand it a bit? Even six months out of the year, it would be great. You know, emergency response training is needed, but so is a nurse, Mr. Speaker. My constituents want to know: when can we get a full-time nurse?
In the Tsiigehtchic Health Centre, there is a full-time community health worker who has access to Med-Response and to professional services of nurses and doctors through Med-Response. There is a part-time home support worker, and there is a half-time community health representative. The public health nurse goes in for one day per week. The public health nurse, as I indicated, remains in the community when Highway No. 8 is inaccessible. We have a physician from Inuvik who provides services for one day every four to five weeks. In urgent emergency situations, the community wellness worker can access Med-Response. I understand the community's desire to have a full-time nurse. It's not currently in the plans. It's not in the plans for the life of this Assembly, but it will obviously continually be reviewed, continually be monitored, and, should the community grow or be in such a position that a full-time nurse is warranted, it will be done, but we are not there right now.
Oral questions. Member for Mackenzie Delta.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am glad the department is looking at it, as the Minister stated, that, if emergency response is not working, then they will look at a full-time nurse. I look forward to that, and I will be sure to keep on top of this, as well. I thank the Minister for that commitment. Will the Minister live up to that commitment?
The Department of Health and Social Services committed to providing high-quality services to the residents across this territory, and there is only six months left in this Assembly. Nobody knows what the next Assembly is going to look forward to, but, as a system, we will continue to monitor the provision of services. As technologies and other things evolve, we may be in a position where it's appropriate to put a nurse in some of our smaller communities; it may be practical to do so. We can't say that that's not going to happen. We do not know how things are going to roll out, but this system is a system that will continually learn and continually evolve. I don't know where I will be sitting in six months' time, so I am certainly not prepared to make a commitment for future governments. Thank you, Mr. Speaker
