Tom Beaulieu

We are working with Education. We are working in the schools. We do provide some funding to the schools. We’ve done some funding directly pertaining to food and people’s hearts and so on to make sure. We’ve also had discussion at the Joint Leadership Council, which is the public administration chairs of all the authorities, about trying to introduce curriculum to health at the high school level. In the elementary or primary school there is health taught in the schools to the younger ages, but at the high school, at this time, I think there is some curriculum that needs to be developed in order...

The NWT Diabetes Clinic was open here in Yellowknife. We’re reviewing the reason why the Diabetes Clinic is not open right now. There is a call across the Territories to have the Diabetes Clinic reopened in Yellowknife. Also in the new health centre in the Sahtu there is a plan to have a diabetes program in there.

I’m prepared to do that after the federal budget is approved.

I can give that direction to the staff not to ask the people to do fundraising to continue operations.

I recognize that the handivan program is very vital to persons with disabilities and seniors. The handivan program is a municipal responsibility, so that’s something that we could have discussion with the municipality, but generally it could be also dealt with directly with the municipality. Thank you.

Yes, I do, Madam Chair.

Aside from discussing healthy eating in the schools and dropping the pop, some exercise, talking to schools about people exercising, talking about walking with people, we’re also looking at carefully expanding the home care so that people with diabetes, that more attention is paid to people’s feet. With diabetes there are a lot of preventable amputations that do occur in the health system. Each amputation costs about $80,000 and there are numbers out there indicating that about 80 percent of those are preventable. If we can step up the home care to make sure that anybody that has diabetes who...

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Diabetes is a chronic disease. The department has a plan around chronic diseases which includes diabetes. We recognize that diabetes is increasing by 200 people per year across the Territories. We have not only developed a plan but are actually doing some work in healthy eating, exercises and so on that will combat diabetes.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’ve had no specific discussion about any Health Canada positions being transferred into Yellowknife with the federal Minister.

Yes, we are prepared to do that. We’ve had discussion. Due to the lack of funding that we’re able to provide, they have not signed a contribution agreement. We can go back and speak to them again and see if they will sign a contribution agreement to remain open. Thank you.