Michael Miltenberger

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of wait times in Yellowknife is one with a number of components. The Member is correct that when we switched from fee-for-service to salary, the number of patients seen did drop. We have added doctors. In addition, we’re also looking at some of the other complexities; for example, the fact that the doctors are employees of the Yellowknife Health and Social Services Board, but spend the majority of their time working at Stanton. We’re looking at how the emergency room is structured. We’re looking at the possibility of integrating the three downtown...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Member is correct; housing for staff has been an issue, but the marking initiative, phase one, saw five units moved into Norman Wells. I understand that there are eight units this coming year to assist with the shortage. Hopefully that will help in the staffing of these remaining six positions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, God willing and the creeks don’t rise, this will be done in the foreseeable future. If we can staff the rest of the other critical positions and if there is a desire indicated by the leadership in the Sahtu in terms of their actual establishment of the health board, then that would help us to conclude this arrangement and transition from being part of the Inuvik region and health authority to a standalone authority in the Sahtu. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. That is an issue, but to me the real issue is the fact that these young people have homes, they have parents, and what do we do to work with the families and the parents and the young people to make the right choices so that they are not on the street at night where they feel that they’ve been abandoned and have no place to go. It is the fundamental parental responsibility and the fundamental role of the young people, as well, to work together. So, to me, that is an issue that we have to keep paying attention to.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated, the department and authority are working with the SideDoor to look at establishing a weekend program for youth. They will be looking at all the variables that are out there that impact on establishing such a program, such as the funding and the liability issues and any other issues that come into the mix as we move ahead on this issue. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I’ll just focus on reiterating one of the points that I raised, and that is that we are trying to come up with a blend at the clinic with the level of nurse practitioners, nurses and doctors that will help alleviate some of the waiting times and make access by patients to see the necessary medical people easier. We have a document in the works that will soon be coming forward through Cabinet and, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future to the Social Programs committee for discussion, that looks at how the hospitals and health centres are operating right now and some plans for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we have a Collective Agreement with the Medical Association that’s going to carry us into 2007-2008, but if I could just quickly reiterate some of the points that I gave in my last answer. We are looking at how emergency is currently structured, and the Member is correct, that it is estimated that anywhere from 40 to 50 percent of the people at emergency aren’t really emergency patients; they could be seen in other areas such as in a clinic or by nurse practitioners. So we’re looking at that and there’s money in the budget for the renovation of Stanton, as...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the discharge of patients is a medical decision that’s done by the doctors and the staff in the facility. The issue of the stand-by and the travel arrangements are dealt with by the staff I’ve already touched on. I’ll look at the issue of stand-by, but I look forward to the other more specific information from the Member. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there are staff who deal with medical travel in Inuvik as well as at Stanton; as well, we have people on the ground in Edmonton at the Government Health Authority to assist, as well, with patients who go South. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’m aware of the interest in the region and in Deline for the use of that facility and, as a government, it’s a facility that we built and we’re funding to pay the mortgage on. We have looked at it with its potential for a long-term care facility and a number of months ago, as we were doing our review of facilities across the NWT, there was an initial review done of the facility where it was indicated to us that it would cost about $3 million to upgrade the facility to the current code and standards for a long-term care facility. Thank you.