Jane Groenewegen

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Lots of things about the North and how we deliver programs and services to our constituents is very unique to the North. Many rural and remote communities and, in fact, all of our communities have to occasionally rely on an employee, the use of medical evacuation charters. It is nothing like being in a large urban centre with a hospital where family and friends can support a family member through a medical emergency. It’s not even a given that a family member can fly later in a timely manner or travel by road if it is an off-road community, or can necessarily afford a...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So I could go to a policy of the Department of Health and Social Services somewhere and find this discretionary authority of a medical practitioner to allow a family member on a medevac? I could find that policy in writing someplace?

So am I to understand that even if there is room on the plane that is being used for the medevac for an additional passenger, it would be the policy of this government that that passenger or family member would not be allowed on that medical charter? Is that what the Minister is saying? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My colleague beat me to it. I was going to recognize Mr. Shane Thompson, a former resident of Hay River and it sounds like soon to be resident of Hay River again. Bring it on home. Thank you. You’ve heard it here first.

I’m not completely familiar with what type of planes are used for medical evacuations, and certainly I understand that if a person is having a medical emergency, they do need to have a trained medical professional accompany them on that medevac if required.

My question is: Does the medical practitioner at the originating end of the medevac have the discretionary ability, if there’s room over and above medical staff on that charter, to allow a family member to accompany the patient on that charter?

Thank you. Okay, I’d like to call Committee of the Whole to order. What is the wish of the committee today? Mr. Menicoche.

Question is being called.

---Carried

Thank you. Mr. Hawkins.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I also would like to recognize my former colleague Mr. David Krutko, and as I’ve told him before, I keep his chair warm for him down here. Also my former colleague Ms. Sandy Lee. As a little trivia point, there’s only ever been nine women elected in the history of the territorial Legislature and Ms. Lee is one of them. There’s not very many of us.

Question is being called.

---Carried

Mr. Hawkins.

Question has been called.

---Carried

Thank you, committee. Mr. Hawkins.