Norman Yakeleya

I just wanted to ask the Minister, on page 8-40 there with the diabetes. I know we did have money in 2013-14, and working in the small communities, I know the funding ends on March 31, 2014, and that in the information health book that I’m looking at, just for the seniors information handbook there, that there is approximately 200 new cases of diabetes diagnosed each year in the Northwest Territories. About one in five people age 60 and over have diabetes. Now we don’t have any money associated. What are we doing to deal with this factual information, if it’s factual information that 200 new...

Certainly when the social worker left Tulita, it has been a couple years or longer and it’s been almost over 700 days since we’ve had a social worker in our community. Even though we get back fills from the other communities to help out, it has been quite a challenge and that’s why we ask if they’ll be flexible enough. We certainly want to fill those positions for those workers coming into our community. Sometimes it doesn’t work according to the plan, so I’m just asking for some flexibility if the community can work with the health and social services board to say it’s going to be a challenge...

Thank you, Minister. It does look promising to fill these positions. I wanted to ask the Minister if any of those positions are difficult to fill. The community of Tulita has been waiting for a social worker for some time and we put the suggestion forward some time ago to the previous Minister if they would be flexible enough to use that position in support of the community as a community wellness worker, some type of worker that would help out with the community issues if we’re unable to fill that social worker. I’ve heard that some of the social workers are doing their jobs designated for...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I certainly have seen the contributions of $1,000 going into the Sahtu communities to honour their volunteers. I know in the small communities, we know who the volunteers are who naturally show up and do things. Other ones don’t like to be recognized, but they will do their part in any type of event. For example, we had the hand games in Tulita with the young people, they had a lot of volunteers there. We had the Sahtu Cup in Norman Wells, a lot of volunteers in Norman Wells to host that.

I guess I wanted to see if there was a registered list of volunteers. People don’t...

Certainly, it’s a good thing that this government, through this department, does celebrate and recognize the many volunteers in the Northwest Territories.

Is there a registered list of volunteers per region or the Northwest Territories as a whole, so we know how many people are registered as a volunteer for the many events that they volunteer for throughout the Northwest Territories?

I would like to recognize two of our Sahtu Pages from Fort Good Hope, Melina Tobac and Taylor Kaskamin, and all the other Pages doing a wonderful job taking care of us. I would also like to recognize some of the constituents from the Sahtu, Pauline Roche and Betty Grandjambe; and also a resident now of Yellowknife, Laura Tutcho; and also the other language members who are doing our good work, specifically Agnes Kuptana and Samuel Hearne schoolmate Cathy Cockney and also the chief of Ndilo. Thank you.

When you see a statement like this in one of our government’s official documents, that 200 new cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year, I certainly look forward to the Minister’s plan of action how to deal with the diabetes that is diagnosed each year and what’s the case that we have dealt so far, because you don’t see anything in here. I have to look for it. That’s scary in our small communities. If I can get some information, documents, what it costs our system each year to treat a person with diabetes.

What are we doing in the small communities to screen for diabetes? Some people just walk...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I do want to thank Mr. Moses for bringing this motion up, and I also wanted to say to government, you have come a long way in the different areas of how we deal with mental health, addictions, drugs and alcohol and moving away from the residential treatment programs and now to listening to people on-the-land treatment programs, mobile treatment and just new initiatives that we’re taking on. It’s been a while since we’ve had this type of new shift in the making of healthy communities as to our priorities and goals. This motion here speaks to support this. We’re looking for...

I appreciate the Minister’s willingness to look at this. The community has actually been asking and there were several challenges to not allowing the social worker to come into the community. There’s no blaming why that couldn’t happen, we’re just asking if that is happening for reasons we sometimes don’t understand. The community is asking – and the previous Minister had that discussion with the community – if they can use that position to have a wellness worker to work with alcohol and drugs specifically to have that position. Today, as we sit, Tulita does not yet have a social worker. It is...

Madam Chair, thank you. I’d like to ask the Minister the number of vacant positions in the Sahtu under the health and social services board and if there have been any type of changes to these vacant positions. Which ones haven’t been filled for a long time and are they still active in our system? Thank you.