Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services. Can the Minister tell me how patients get from the health centre to the medevac flight in communities with no ambulance service? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Great Slave. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I am sure the Member can appreciate, with 33 different communities, there are a number of different ways of getting there. One possibility is local emergency service providers, such as the fire department or the RCMP. In some places, there are ground transportation contracts that are available through a competitive bid. In some cases, community governments provide that service, and in some cases, in fact, people do it themselves with whatever equipment they have available. Thank you.
It would be great if the Minister could send me the breakdown of the different communities and their response plans for ground transportation. For question number two: when will paramedics be licensed in the Northwest Territories, and when will adjustments be made to the act in order to enable this service?
I welcome the opportunity to clarify the fact that paramedics are licensed in the NWT, and no changes are required to the act.
That is great to hear. Thank you. My next question may be redundant, but: community-based paramedics programs have clinical evidence of their success in Northern Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Why was the community-based paramedicine program discontinued here in the Northwest Territories, considering that the Canadian Armed Forces was willing to partner with the Northwest Territories?
I appreciate the opportunity to clarify here, as well. In fact, what took place in Tsiigehtchic was a pilot program to train local community members as first responders beginning in 2019. The good news about this pilot program is that 16 community members did receive emergency response training. That work, however, has not progressed from that stage. It is in the health Department's work plan to engage with MACA to discuss next steps on how we can build on this pilot, and the next steps are due by September of this year.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Great Slave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess I have my facts wrong, but I will check back with my research and take a look at that. My last question is: would the Minister tell us her position on whether or not she finds the discrepancies in our healthcare system due to systemic racism? Thank you.
I am not going to offer an opinion. Thank you.
Thank you. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
