Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I don't have that level of detail.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the previous health recruitment strategy and the bridging strategy was all within the -- you know, what the NTHSSA could control. And so year after year, staff were frustrated and frustrated and frustrated because many of the issues that they were bringing forward were not in the recruitment strategy. So there are -- the things that we left -- there are still the things that are good that are going to remain in the strategy, but the scope of the people strategy expanded to an all-of-government initiative creating additional coordination. And so there is...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the public administrator has been working hard with the CEO and the NTHSSA executive to bring forward, over the last couple of years, a lot of the areas they were targeting in forced growth and enhancements that they previously have done. So if people don't -- like, most people don't understand that the authority was continuing to just put in areas where there was high pressure, high needs, and that's what was driving up the deficit; however, within this government we, you know, as Cabinet and as myself as Minister, once we got the public administrator in...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, within the whole of the territory, this is where primary care reform is the leading area of this. It's access to care. I've said it on the floor of this House many times, you know, we have the challenges over the years of access to care. And so people need to know how to access care and where is the appropriate -- and that's what implementing this framework is going to do for chronic disease management. It's going to give everyone a roadmap as to how to access the certain different areas in their region to be able to deal with these things. However, by...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, throughout the Northwest Territories, the health authorities lead this work. The department works with them and, you know, if there's funding that they can access through federal funding, that they obtain through that. However, the authorities have their health promotion arm where that is where community health representatives, public health, all of those different areas, primary care providers, so your first response to -- or your first access to care would be through your primary care provider. In the small communities, it would be your health centre...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, there was a chronic disease framework that was completed. And to implement that, the department is currently -- in the proposed budget, there's some staffing resources in there to implement that budget. However, to get to more specifics, and because I knew that the question was coming, I broke it down for the Member for TCSA. So within each authority in each region, they all work with the communities to see what their priorities are. And within the TCSA, diabetes has been highlighted. And so to better -- TCSA is working collaboratively with the Tlicho...

Mr. Speaker, primary care is the first point of contact for most residents in our health system. It sets the direction for the care they receive and helps ensure people get the right care, at the right time, from the right provider.

As an Indigenous Minister with a background in health care, I understand both the frustrations of residents and the challenges our system is facing. Improving access, reducing inequities, and strengthening the way our system operates are priorities of this Legislative Assembly and are the priorities that I have been working hard to address since becoming Minister.

Th...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know that child and family services does collaborate with the RCMP, and in the smaller communities, you know, I recently was in the Deh Cho and had the opportunity to talk with some of the concerns that the social workers had when going into small communities. And so with the communities that have no social worker or no RCMP that they are to, you know -- they're to travel together but if it's high risk, then they will contact RCMP. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, yes, I have directed my department to do the feasibility study. That's the first part so that we -- you know, where we know what it's going to cost, what it's going to take. And they're currently in that process right now. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I do not have that level of detail at my desk. Thank you.