Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we wrap up four years in office, many of us, including our constituents, find we are fighting the same battles which include that of health care recruitment and retention, lack of housing, homelessness, addictions, cost of living, access to labour and trades people, decrease in economic activity, affirmative action, and several other important issues. For now, I want to zero in on health care and ask why it is that we continue to have trouble recruiting and retaining doctors and health care professionals in our communities?
Mr. Speaker, I will use Hay River as an example. The Hay River Health Centre provides services not only to the residents of Hay River but also those surrounding communities which include K'atlodeeche First Nation, Enterprise, Fort Resolution, Kakisa, and Fort Providence. In essence we may be a health care centre in name, but we are seen as a hospital to many of the residents accessing services. People rely on services that are quickly disappearing or not available due to lack of doctors and qualified health care professionals. This is placing residents' health at risk, and we should be concerned.
Mr. Speaker, residents are tired to hearing of doctors shortages or that a whole department is closed due to lack of staff. That reality must change. The NWT was once competitive with southern Canada when it came to wages and benefits for health workers. We now find ourselves in a position where we are no longer competitive; instead, we are only comparable or in a wage deficit which does not work when it comes to recruitment in communities with high living costs and limited accommodations.
Mr. Speaker, the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority considers itself a separate and a distinct organization from the NTHSSA yet during union negotiations, countless employees say that they cannot provide benefits above and beyond what the NTHSSA and GNWT provide.
Mr. Speaker, if it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
Using that analogy, the HRSSA facilities are owned by the GNWT, the cost of managing, operating and managing the facility is covered by this government, contract negotiations require support from this government, so why would we not look at the amalgamating the HRSSA with the NTHSSA so all workers are treated equally throughout the health care system in the NWT and, most importantly, residents are provided with timely and quality health care. Thank you.
Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Members' statements. Member for Frame Lake.
