Sandy Lee

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to just ask that the Hansard be corrected to read “neurology.” That is what I said.

Mr. Speaker, we do have a contract with Capital Health so they can provide services that we cannot in the North. We don’t have special status with Alberta, but we do have access to service that Alberta and Capital Health gives to its own residents. My understanding is and we are aware that there is a shortage of beds and facilities all over the country, and sometimes we experience some difficulties. I would be happy to provide the Member with any details of the agreements he...

My understanding is that we get the same service that Alberta residents receive. If the Member would like to have a briefing on what kinds of contracts we have — what kind of service agreements we have with Alberta Health or any other organizations or governments that this government has contracts with — I’ll be happy to provide the Members on the other side with a briefing or any background information.

I think the Member is quite incorrect in saying that the patient was sent where the patient was not being treated. That is not correct, and that is questioning the capacity of doctors to do their work, Mr. Speaker. This patient — and I keep saying this — was monitored. She was being tested. It was important that she was monitored. She was being treated.

I think it’s quite inappropriate, actually, for us to talk about individual health situations, and I think it’s wrong for the Member to say this person was not treated. It is just that she didn’t have her own room. I understand, given her...

Mr. Speaker, I don’t have the information on what decisions were made to see whether it would have been better for the patient to be sent elsewhere or to be moved and on what condition. I don’t know any of that information. I’d be happy to undertake, for the Member, to have officials review this file and see what happened and whether there should be any steps taken.

There is no evidence to suggest that there is going to be a reduction in services because of the amalgamation of boards. There is no evidence to suggest that what happened to this particular patient has anything to do with amalgamation. Obviously, we as a government want to monitor this situation and make sure that we’re not affected negatively in that way.

Now, I think we have to keep in mind that Capital Health does provide us with very valuable services in many regards. Sometimes we run into problems. I could also advise the Member that I, in fact, talked to the Minister of Health in Alberta...

My understanding is that it’s for the lease improvements of 1,800 square metres that the clinic is looking for, to renovate, but I could defer to Mr. Aumond to see if that information is correct.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think the Member might have said that we own some of the clinics downtown. We do not own any of them. The Gibson Clinic, Great Slave clinic and Family clinic, I think — the one next to the Explorer Hotel — are the three that are going to be combined to move into the consolidated clinic. Those are all leases. We have leases with the landlords. Some of the renovations that were done were with respect to Great Slave Medical clinic, and that was done mostly with federal funding.

This consolidated clinic would allow us to have lab work and X-rays and diagnostic imaging and...

I asked that very question, and I was advised that the Capital Health authority decides where these patients go. Doctors consult with each other when we’re sending patients South and when they’re receiving. On the basis of what the doctors know, they decide what facility and what expertise this patient needs.

This patient needed neurology and cardiology treatment. Royal Alexandra is where she had to be. Before she could be placed in a room, she had to be in emergency. There were two other Alberta residents with neurology conditions. They were all being monitored. They had a bed; it’s just that...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the Member’s question. Yesterday we happened to be out of session, and I was in my office all day. I spent the better part of my day addressing this specific situation. I talked to the husband of the patient myself. I know my deputy minister has talked to the patient’s husband in Yellowknife. We had a nurse in the department mobilizing the key people in the department to move this patient along into a room as quickly as was possible.

This patient had a stroke. She had to be sent to Edmonton. It was a decision made by the doctor here. She had to be near...

I’m not sure of that. It’s in the mix to be considered for next year’s planning projects.