Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, right now, as across Canada, there is a working group, I believe, that is working together with Health Canada to -- I believe it's called Connect Care, and there's some legislation or work that -- I can turn it over to the deputy minister. He may have more details on that. But it's more to ensure that all of the jurisdictions in Canada are being able to connect with each other so through that process -- so I can turn it over to the deputy minister. He might have a few more details on that.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. As this is through hospital services and that will be within the health authority, I know that is another section, and I -- I mean, high levelly, these three positions, it is a pilot over the next couple of years, is this is what we're trying to do. We don't want to create something that is not working but we also want to be flexible to put -- what we've heard from many residents that are travelling is that travel is not coordinated, it comes in, nobody's coordinating the travel, people are travelling out, and then they have to come back, and then they're travelling out a...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. And so the scope of this project, I believe, is quite extensive and daunting, and I would assume that there are few suppliers who could possibly meet the entire contents of that RFP. Does the Department or the Minister have a contemplation of how long it may take to find a successful applicant? Are there companies that they've identified that probably have the capabilities to do this work? Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, the conversations that I've had with NTHSSA, as this is the operational arm of the health, they have stated to us that these types of positions right now that they are -- they can pretty much say that they are able to recruit these positions, especially at the territorial hospital. And so what we have done, you know, and I think is that we've asked them to start to look at it, to be able to start that operationally and look as to what it looks like. And as some of -- under the direction of myself is to -- because NTHSSA, you know, they create their...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'll turn that over to deputy minister Mr. Doody.

Yes, I would just refer to the funding to other sources in the appendices. That is where it's broken down to the different authorities. And so I believe if the Member is looking for the Tlicho health authority, TCSA, that would be broken down of what that's allocated there. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, as the federal budget was only announced late in November that before -- before that, we -- you know, and then we begin to work with them to renew these two program areas. And so as of right now, I believe that the funding hasn't changed in either one of those with the federal government. We just are in the process of negotiating it and once those are signed off, I believe they're not -- there's no change in them. We already know what they are; we just have to sign them off now. And then because they expire at the end of March 31st, the current agreements, we...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to NIHB, that is not -- I guess where it is is when the patient needs services, there is no waiting for NIHB, whether it's after hours, weekends. The only time that there is is when it's an exception to what NIHB's escort criteria is. And so at this point right now, we already have a pocket of money that we don't -- we're overspending every year millions of dollars on medical travel. And you see it on the floor of the House every time we sit down that there's a supplementary appropriation for medical travel. It's because this area has been...

Yes, thank you. Mr. Chair, right now, we're in the process of putting those measurements in, and that's through the new recruitment strategy. Thank you, Mr. Chair.