Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I presented a motion in this House last June 2022 regarding improving healthcare in small communities. The motion was prompted by numerous complaints made verbally to me or was printed in the media in relation to the many cases of misdiagnosis of Indigenous patients in the small communities.
Mr. Speaker, this is where residents have been into the health centres numerous times for the same ailment, were not diagnosed, or were not diagnosed properly and sent home with Tylenol. And in most cases, it was the fourth or fifth time they were near, or they were in, their death bed. From what I'm hearing, this is still going on in our small health centres.
In part of the motion, I spoke about systemic racism in our health centres as many nurses come in from the south and don't understand Indigenous history of injustices done to them. Mr. Speaker, I would like to state that not all the nurses are in this boat as there are many that truly like to work with Indigenous people, especially Indigenous patients.
We can have all the reconciliation and sacred ceremonies with the health department staff, with the doctors, with the nurses, but that does not address the root problem of providing improved healthcare services. Mr. Speaker, at the very least the Department of Health and Social Services should provide oversight of the small community health centres to ensure quality of care. Mahsi.
Thank you, Member for Deh Cho. Members' statements. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiiledeh.
