Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.
Mr. Speaker, my questions are for the Minister of Health and Social Services following up on some of my questions yesterday. And one of the questions the nature of the question or the heart of the question is transparency on the doctors' waiting list, and her brazen response is, you know, that's only an issue in Yellowknife. Actually half the population here is in Yellowknife but it's a respect factor of how people in Yellowknife feel. And I got some phone calls how upset people were about that perspective. So my question here, specifically to the Minister of Health and Social Services, is simply this: What can she do to bring transparency to the waiting list? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in this House, the we are doing a review and the primary health care reform is going to look at how we provide services to all residents in the Northwest Territories. And I understand that there is a model that's been used in Yellowknife which, yes, it is the half of the population but, you know, on the other opposite end is there's the other half of the population that doesn't have access to physicians and services. And, you know, we've heard from Members in this House that said they don't have even an access to a nurse all the time. So we are looking at the entire territory and how we provide services to the residents in the Northwest Territories. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I really wish the Minister would answer the question. What is her hesitation for putting some transparency on the doctors' waiting list? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I understand where the Member's coming from. There is also question on waitlists. And like I said specifically, there is a model that's been going on in Yellowknife, and it's not the same model that's been going on the rest of the territory. You know, and so I think with this model, everything will be changing, or we're looking at making changes so that there's equitable access to everybody in the Northwest Territories. And so there may not be waitlists in the Northwest Territories because we'll be defining how we provide service differently in the city, in the towns, in the hamlets, in the villages. You know, so that's something that we're looking for in the future and so, you know, we provided the numbers to the Member, and if you know, if the Member wishes to share that information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm convinced the Minister doesn't understand the question. Her response to me was written response, sir, is the 2,000 people are on the waitlist. So they know what the waitlist for a doctor means. That said, what is the apprehension or hesitation for providing some level of transparency, so you know where you are on the waitlist? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, in the opposite sense is why is there a waitlist? You know, I went and seen a physician on Saturday. I didn't have to see you know, so this is why I'm saying the primary health care reform is changing how we're looking at how patients have access to services, not necessarily how everybody's going to have a specific physician to this many clients or this many patients or within this system. So that is you know, when we provided the information that we do have to the Member, and if he wishes to share the information. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Final supplementary. Short supplementary.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yeah, they provided information, but it wasn't detailed such as can a doctor refuse to take a client. So, Mr. Speaker, when people are waiting six to eight years on the medical waiting list to get a family doctor, they have no idea when it's coming. So, Mr. Speaker, I'm asking again what can the Minister do to bring some level of transparency to the doctors' waiting list for the public? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe I answered the Member. As this list is changing and the model may change, and so that is the work that we're doing. So as there's a list, whether it's changing, those are things that you know, everybody has access to a physician whether it's a family like, the model is changing and it's changing across the country. And so I've answered the question. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
