Thank you, Mr. Speaker. These questions are for the Minister of health.
Mr. Speaker, in the past we have heard about paramedics assisting at NWT health centres to help with staff shortages. Can the Minister advise if similar initiatives are being looked at to address the lack of first responders and after hour care in the communities in my riding of Kakisa, Fort Providence, Enterprise, and Hay River Reserve. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member from Deh Cho. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I can say is, yes, paramedics have been used in circumstances where there hasn't been any -- enough nurses available, community health nurses available in some of the health centres. When there's a shortage and they've expanded all ways to try and recruit, even locums, they reached out and they have paramedics that go in. The paramedics, however, are there used to assist nurses to do assessments in triage so that frees up the community health nurse in the health centre. They don't work on call, and they don't work alone. And while they're working in the health centre in that role, they don't -- they're not working outside of the health centre in any -- like, in a paramedic capacity. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Is it possible to staff -- is it possible to have an extended program to have home care workers work after hours to assist elders or people with disabilities in my riding? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, right now we have started to transition, and during the last year, we actually have increased some communities with the funding that we're getting through the home -- Inuit home and community and funding that we have within to start to provide after hours and weekend support to those home care clients by home support workers that are hired locally in the community. I have asked the department to do a review of actually the Member's riding to see when was the last time home care assessments were done in her riding. I know that across the territory we've had this conversation -- I've had the conversation with the Member that, you know, as we expand these programs, we have to make sure we're expanding into the communities that have the greatest needs with -- like, when we are doing that. So I have asked to make sure that all of our home care assessments throughout our regions are going to be -- like, going to be up to date so that way if we -- when we are able to start expanding into other communities that we're using the -- we're putting the extra hours into those communities that have been assessed to need that. So I have committed to the Member that I will be doing that in -- making sure because that was the request that she asked, my riding, but I will, however, make sure that, you know, all our small communities are making sure that they have the care that they need, and as we roll out this we will continue to look at where they need to go. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister for Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Deh Cho.
Okay, thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can the Minister explain which home and community care services are currently offered in my riding, the communities in my riding?
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, what I do have, I have the -- there is a home care nurse and two home support workers that are located in Fort Providence. They do report to the nurse -- the home care nurse in-charge from the Deh Cho out of Simpson. I will have to get back to the Member on the other three communities that she serves. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Sahtu.
