Lesa Semmler

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, yes, the -- there is an overnight space for -- and there is currently an overnight space emergency shelter, and those users do use the day facility currently and so they would continue to use that space. How the program evolves, you know, once we're in that space and how we operate the program and, you know, once we're in the space, you know, may change and may be able to provide other supports, but at this time right now what we're -- where we are is we're just replacing what we currently have. And, yes, they do stay overnight and then they can, you know, be...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we are currently seeking -- we are working on the procurement process for the new electronic medical records. As I've said in this House many times, our EMR is coming to an end. They will not be supported any longer. But what I will say is is that -- you know, the things that the Member is raising, it is -- we are well aware of these issues and that's why the urgency on this RFP going out to ensure that the procurement process rolls out. And then depending on the system that they think that meets the needs will depend on how long that rollout takes. Thank...

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I will turn that over to the ADM.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Joining me today from the Department of Health and Social Services are Chris Clarke McQueen, director of infrastructure planning. And Perry Heath, assistant deputy minister for corporate service and cultural safety.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, that is part of the process of the planning and within Hay River, like the Member -- like the ADM said, is that we have the older facility. Those people will have to move into the new facility once it's decommissioned as it's at the end of its life. So all of that information will be taken into account.

Mr. Speaker, yes, the plan is for the review of the medical travel policy and some of these areas that the Members have raised are a part of the review of the policy. Thank you.

Thank you. I will pass that over to the director, Mr. Clarke McQueen.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, non-medical escorts are recommended by the health practitioner and may be approved by the medical travel officer if their request for medical escorts meets the criteria in the respective policy. And so the Northwest Territories -- the Government of the Northwest Territories, we have a policy that lays out what a non-medical escort for when people are travelling for insured services and then there's also -- like, I mean, this is where we can get complicated and then if it was -- it doesn't meet the GNWT, there is an option to -- if they're Indigenous, we...

Thank you. So long-term care beds in Hay River currently are 23. There's 23 beds used, and there are 6 people on the waitlist. Deh Cho, 17, and 17 people in the beds and 2 people on the waitlist. In Fort Smith, there's 26 long-term care beds, and 26 people occupying those beds, and nobody on the waitlist. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'm going to have to talk more with the Member as to what role that would be, and the way I'm interpreting it is it would be somebody that we would hire on to travel with people as escorts. But there are many family members that -- and people, residents, that would want their family too. So I guess we would have to review to see if that's what the Member is asking for, but I can commit to having further discussions to understand what that would mean. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.