Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I had more questions for the Minister of health, and I certainly hope, as it threw me off the last time to get a yes so fast, it goes just as swimmingly.
Mr. Speaker, the first question for the Minister is is she aware of the number of beds and how many are vacant at the Stanton Legacy Hospital, the Liwego'ati, currently? Thank you.
Thank you, Member from Yellowknife Centre. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, at this time I can say that the -- I don't have the exact details, but I will get back to the Member. But what I will say is that the extended health -- or the extended care moved over to the Liwego'ati from the old Stanton -- from the Stanton hospital, the new Stanton hospital back to the old Stanton hospital, and then we just most recently opened up one house of the long-term care beds, and it is kind of a phased approach over the two floors there, so. But I can commit to getting the numbers of how many beds we have available right now and how many are filled. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'll certainly be happy to receive that information, of course.
Now, I understand that Avens provides long-term care supports similarly and as a partner for the overall solution, so I'm getting towards the next part of the question, which is I believe they provide approximately 59 beds, Mr. Speaker. And that partnership is so important.
With the changes that are coming in long-term care, does the department of health, NTHSSA, plan to continue and foster its decades long important relationship as a pillar of health care in this community? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, Avens and with the NTHSSA is a very important partnership. I believe that the bed projections are built around accommodating -- like, the future of the need was why Liwego'ati was built; however, it's not to replace the beds that are at the Avens Manor. And I think to be very clear, like, that partnership is ongoing, and I -- and just as most recently, I know that discussions have started as those contract discussions have started with the NTHSSA. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Final supplementary. Member from Yellowknife Centre.
And thank you, Mr. Speaker. All that was for the crescendo here is, where the question's going ultimately, is that the Minister's aware and many of the Members, of course, is the federal government and the territorial government have some increased long-term obligations, and there's some requirements for these obligations that are going forward. That said, I would like to hear if the Minister -- will continue to support the extra costs due to the changes for long-term care that the federal government's requiring and the territorial government's now supporting and will Avens continue to be a pillar in this health care continuum? Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as NTHSSA is -- you know, I can bring that back to the health authority. The contract is with the health authority, and the health authority is the one that will be negotiating with them on the new contract, and I'm sure that those discussions are happening in regards to standards and best practices. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister of Health and Social Services. Oral questions. Member from Yellowknife North.
