Glen Abernethy

It actually includes a number of programs. Over the years we had given out a significant number of bursaries and there is limited data as to whether we were actually getting any return of service on those bursaries and whether we were getting good value for money, so we have continued the bursaries for those individuals that are in nursing programs and other allied programs now, so those individuals that are in are covered, but we have suspended any future intake until we have an opportunity to do a comprehensive analysis to make sure that we are getting value for money.

The Community Health...

Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe, that Bill 4, Health Information Act, be read for the third time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Yes, Mr. Speaker. We have a variety of different programs that are trying to start with prevention, Healthy Families, Healthy Choices framework, a number of initiatives geared to educating people about food. I have directed the department to work a little bit more on trying to get some more information on sugar, as brought up earlier by Mr. Dolynny, into that advertising, that prevention works. But we also have professionals in Yellowknife and in communities throughout the Northwest Territories who actually provide services to the individuals, including education and helping people make...

Yes, Mr. Speaker.

I don’t have a timeline, but we do plan on doing this review in the 2014-15 fiscal year. We will get to the Member before the end of that fiscal year. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As I’ve said previously in the House, I have directed the department to do a review of the ISDM to see what make-up of professionals would be appropriate in the smaller communities. I have committed to doing that. I note the department has had some discussions with the Beaufort-Delta, specifically around Tsiigehtchic and the options that have been presented by the Member, but we have not hired an LPN for Tsiigehtchic. We need to finish the other work before we figure out what would be the appropriate course of action. I’d be happy to work with the Member, happy to work...

It has been in effect for a couple months. I’ve been the Minister of Health and Social Services for four months now and it was one of the things that I looked at when I came into the department, because health human resource recruitment is one of the areas that’s obviously important. I’d like to have a strong workforce here in the Northwest Territories.

However, I will check the letter I sent to committee to confirm the date that we did actually suspend these programs temporarily. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We are committed to developing a good, solid, quality workforce here in the Northwest Territories of health professionals and allied health professionals, but the bottom line is when I became the Minister of Health and Social Services, I did have an opportunity to meet with the division which had recently moved over to HR. There were a number of questions about the effectiveness of our program, and continuing to spend dollars for no effect did not seem like a prudent course of action, so I actually directed the department to begin the development of a comprehensive...

These dollars are intended to provide 24/7 coverage in the office for our staff who will be providing the services. The significant difference and benefits for residents of the Northwest Territories – and our focus is on the people, the clients and our residents – is when somebody is injured in a community and they are in the health centre and they need immediate response, immediate action or immediate medevac, the community health worker or the community health care professional in that community will be able to call one office and that office will give them links to physicians or specialists...

Mr. Speaker, a significant amount of research has been done on this particular file. It started off with a different name many years ago, the Territorial Support Network. We’ve had physicians from across the North and we’ve had some real strong champions for this particular approach, and we have looked at other jurisdictions. This is going to give the community health care workers in the communities one point of contact for all medical emergencies, medevacs, all of those types of situations as opposed to what we’ve experienced in the past where every authority had their own plan, their own...