Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, today my questions are for the health Minister in regards to medical travel. And I'm wondering if the Minister would work with me in regards to having a dedicated person in our region as a travel advocate. We asked for that in our last budget, but it was not in the line item.
So I'm wondering if the Minister would commit to working with us Regular Members to get a line item in there for a travel advocate for the Beaufort Delta so that people will not miss their appointments, and there will be no more mixups, and people will be seen when needed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Nunakput. Minister responsible for Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I recognize that medical travel can be a stressful time for the patients themselves and for their family members as well. What we did agree to in the budget negotiations is a patient navigator for each region of the NWT.
And so it's my expectation that when we're creating the job description for this new position, that it will include travel navigation and have special attention on people who are doing medical travel. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, that's better than a "yes". So I'm just wondering now, with our patient navigators now, what time will they be hired and staffed in the communities or in Inuvik, I guess, where it would be, and what time would that take effect. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know the Member would like to hear "tomorrow", but the fact is this is a brand new program with brand new positions, and so the department is developing that program and job descriptions and so on. And those will be part of the next business planning process, although the money is already dedicated to the positions. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. The department, if they're starting to do that, I guess that would be September. Before September, I hope. We have a lot of issues in my riding. Everything. Like, my riding, you have to travel. Sachs Harbour, you have to fly in from Sachs, Ulu, Paulatuk, or close to communities that people are really affected. When you go for one appointment, it takes four or five days to get there.
I really want to make sure this is done and done as soon as possible, like the Minister said, and working together with us regular Members and trying to get it done sooner than later.
But this is a question I do have, is that with all the appointments that are, you know, being missed and stuff like that, what are the time lines in getting them rebooked and rebooked either from travel or booking with the doctors in Edmonton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I can't imagine really what it would be like to come in from Ulukhaktok and have to go through to Edmonton for an appointment. The culture change would be very extreme.
I'm not aware of the issue that the Member is speaking of, a number of cancelled appointments and the need to rebook them. So I will commit to finding out more about that and responding to him. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary. Member for Nunakput.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll forward her my text messages I got 3 o'clock in the morning in regards to booking their missed travel. It's not only that one person. I think I got four or five people, four or five individuals in that one complaint that I do have. I'm working towards it with them because they're not wanting to sign yet. So the biggest thing is getting this patient navigator done, and sooner the better. And I look forward to having that in our riding over Delta and the Delta itself. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yes, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to having this program in place for the benefit of people throughout the NWT but particularly those who are travelling from remote locations. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Thebacha.
