Thank you, Mr. Speaker. According to the NTHSSA website, the goal of primary healthcare reform is six demonstration projects to test primary health care improvements. Can the Minister say what projects will be completed in the Tlicho region. Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Monfwi. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the department is working with the Tlicho government and NTCSA to build capacity for diabetes management, prevention, and awareness programs aimed to help people with diabetes management of their condition, raise community awareness to prevent -- yeah, so diabetes engagement.
So one of the things that they're doing is they're doing this -- they're going to be doing this through workshop cooking classes and cultural programs. It is a piece of the primary care reform that will be in the Tlicho, so on chronic disease management. That is the piece that will be happening in the Tlicho. Right now, I think within the staffing levels that they're having struggles within the Tlicho it hasn't really got off the ground yet, so. But that is what's planned for Tlicho. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you for the information. Primary healthcare reform is intended to include opportunities for public feedback. Can the Minister commit to conducting a detailed public consultation with community health system clients. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as we are rolling out primary care in the different areas, as you are aware that we just -- NTHSSA has just released that they will be doing the primary care in Yellowknife consult when -- so patients that are going through the system will be -- they'll be doing a survey with them on their feedback of the services which will help to drive the improved changes. And so as we are rolling out those in the different areas, primary care, those things can be put in place. We would need to have -- ensure that those programs are rolling out so that they have something to compare to. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Monfwi.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, a family doctor is largely unavailable to most residents. It is foreign to us in small communities. Can the Minister explain how primary health care reform will lead to having more doctors and nurses in small communities? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, primary care reform -- you know, as it's rolling out into the small communities, what we do have actually is a form of primary care in the communities right now. But what we need to be doing is we need to be looking at all of our communities, and that's what the working group is established for small communities and health cabins, to be looking at what are the needs of those communities and how are we going to be able to provide the services that are needed in those small communities, knowing that not every small community is going to have a resident physician. You know, they will -- but maybe there is a different makeup of frontline staff that -- like, especially in Indigenous communities, can we get more local people that are in the communities to train and do certain jobs? That is one area.
Another area is physicians. And, you know, the Tlicho is actually doing this, and some of the other regions now, is they're having appointments with a physician that can't always be in all the communities but can be virtually. And being able to have that connection with a nurse there and then a physician to be able to, you know, walk through some of those conditions. It's opening up our -- we're expanding on how we're utilizing our services and our technology to improve the care in the smaller communities. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
