Daryl Dolynny

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to work with the Minister on that one. I’d appreciate it.

It has been stated by many infectious disease specialists that our cleaners are, in many ways, the front-line gatekeepers against superbugs, but these days we know that with shrinking budgets and hospital demands, this department is all too easy a target for cuts.

Can the Minister indicate what his department is doing to strengthen our cleaning services in all our health care facilities to combat these superbugs? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Hawkins, your time has expired. Just let me know if you want to get back on the list. Committee, we’re on 9-10, Justice, information item, active position summary, Mr. Bromley.

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Committee, we’re on page 9-13, Justice, activity summary, services to government, operations expenditure summary, $12.471 million.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate the ability to be able to bring this motion forward. The Minister has spoken to some of the components of this motion. However, committee still feels that we’re not quite there with having all those initiatives in place in terms of having a very successful on-the-land program.

It is also apparent that there isn’t a lot of uptake in the communities, albeit even in the Northwest Territories, because there has been no success in the RFP program, which tends to lend itself to the fact do we have enough money put in this program. That being said, I believe...

Thank you, committee. Committee, we are in your main estimates binder at 9-7. This is the summary which we will defer up until conclusion of consideration of the individual activities. I’ll get you to turn to 9-8, Justice, information item, infrastructure investment summary. Any questions?

Thank you, committee. Page 9-13, Justice, activity summary, services to government, operations expenditure summary, $12.471 million. Ms. Bisaro.

Thank you, Mr. Moses. Minister Ramsay.

Thank you. Detail is my middle name.

Going back to the alarming statistic that, on average, one in 12 Canadian hospital patients are being infected with a superbug, if we looked at that recent table of 46.6 MRSA incidents per 10,000 cases, if my math is correct that works out to 0.06 in 12 NWT hospital patients being infected.

Can the Minister account as to why the NWT is reporting such a low number to this national Canadian statistical average? Thank you.

Mr. Hawkins, I believe that question has been asked and answered. Do you have another question?

Thank you, Minister Ramsay. Moving on with questions on 9-13, I’ll go back to Mr. Bromley.