Tom Beaulieu

That’s a very tough question. It’s something that only the doctor or the surgeon can answer. They are going to determine, based on the condition of the patient, on whether or not the person should be released. If the patient is unhappy, that they think they’re being released from the hospital too early, yes, they do have an avenue where we have had situations down south, in Edmonton to be exact, where the family felt that the patient was being released too early. They contacted us. We contacted the medical people and the person got to stay a couple of extra days. I mean, there is something in...

Our activities, when we’re dealing with patients of any location in the Northwest Territories, is to use the clinical guideline practices and that if an individual comes in, the nurse is obligated to give them an examination. If they determine that it’s something minor and they can give them some medication, then that may be a decision, but otherwise, they should be following the policy. It’s being monitored by our Health and Social Services department with the health and social services authorities across the North.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess not so much as a policy but more of a clinical practice. A decision as to when the patient is released is a clinical decision made by the physician that’s responsible for that patient.

We’re not thinking about paying for midwifery by building flexibility into the physician funding. That would be presented to the Legislative Assembly as an increase to O and M when the Midwifery Program is ready to go ahead in Hay River.

We may have that type of poster in the health authorities. I’m not aware of that, but if we don’t, we should. I think that after today I will advise the deputy minister to contact the health authorities to ensure that these posters are in all of our health centres across the North, advising people that it would be a good idea to have medical travel insurance.

I didn’t know you could buy sort of like an annual medical travel insurance. That would be even better. It’s usually per trip, but if you can buy something on an annual basis, much better.

We will have the business case completed by December 31, 2012.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Although the government or Department of Health and Social Services does not have an obligation to advise people on their travels to get medical insurance, I think it’s a good idea. I know that travel agents, when you’re going by plane, advise you to get medical insurance, but people who drive out don’t usually bother getting medical insurance, although it’s a good idea. I think the premiums are very reasonable and it’s something that if you do, as the Member indicated, have an accident while you’re down south, medical bills can be astronomical. Even getting to and back...

Mr. Speaker, I can request the information back from the department to have that discussion with me by the end of next week, and then within the next couple of weeks, if something can be established and that the medical travel people think they can make some headway with the hotels to establish this into their policy, then we will try to have it done within the month of November. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t believe that we have a day program for the patients that come here for medical and get their appointments and have a lot of time on their hands before the flight, but we would be pleased to work with medical travel people to see if something can be developed. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to speak specifically of the RFP, it’s not only the value for money but there is an approved request for proposal indicators within the government system that Health and Social Services and the authorities follow. It’s outlined that they would receive certain points and values in certain areas such as northern employment, northern supplier, cost, management, experience of management, background, directly related business or expertise and so on. There are several categories that are rated. In this one here the two main contractors were weighed off against each...