EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As well, somebody else mentioned from the Standing Committee the group home for people with physical disabilities, if the services will be in place because not too often we get reports in regards to those.
One of the on-going issues is psychiatric patients who go to Tammaatarvik and there is no proper facilities for them because at Tammaatarvik there’s people patients who require different treatments that stay in one home and we anticipate to hear what services they will be providing.
I will be raising questions in regards to those, thank you Mr. Speaker.
I am in agreement with the opening remarks with the Chairperson of the Standing Committee.
I’m also in agreement with the request that has been made by the Inuit or the needs that have been identified by the Inuit will be provided under that facility and ever since the creation of Nunavut we have been working on the group home in Chesterfield Inlet.
That has been an on-going issue also and I will be raising questions as to, as you stated lease, so we have to plan way in advance so we might want to hear some details on that and looking at the capital estimates, the services that will be provided are very reassuring and very positive to see in this because they are being addressed in this capital estimates according to the capital estimates so right now I don’t have opposition, thank you Mr. Speaker.
You’re very useful.
And to Minister Picco and his officials.
Welcome to the assembly.
I know you’re task, when you’re dealing with Health and Social Services, and the public, it’s a humungous responsibility that we put on you and it gets very difficult and we certainly appreciate that you serve the people.
I’d like to thank you for that.
Even though that might be the case, at the same the three new facilities that are going to be constructed, I’m sure that we all appreciate it and I certainly appreciate the fact that we’ll get new facilities.
It’s getting very clear and we’re hearing more details when the completion dates will be.
It’s materializing and we see that within Nunavut.
Mr. Chairman, one of the ongoing concerns that I’ve had as well as my constituents is that there are not facilities to assist Nunavummiut because a lot of times, our parents have to be sent out of town if they have to be helped or assisted.
For, the Inuit this is a big burden to the people especially when their children have to go outside of Nunavut to be cared for.
Because we long for each other, especially to our children, be they daughters or sons.
We have all feel that they are still our babies in our hearts and the children who are sent away, their parents feel the same way.
A lot of times, they encounter problems because of that yearning feeling that they have when their children are taken away from Nunavut.
For example in Gjoa Haven, I know my community well; I usually give an example of the situations that have occurred in my community.
And I’m sure it’s like that in every other community outside of Gjoa Haven.
One of the sons from Gjoa Haven is down in Ontario and the father and the sister get a chance to visit and I’d like to thank the department that were able to assist.
But when they’re visited, it’s very beneficial but then again they have to leave them again in a few days after a brief visit.
So, I will be asking more questions in regards to that, especially where we have to send patients outside of Nunavut.
See if they can be serviced within Nunavut.
So I will be asking questions in regards to that.
Also, in regards to the patients at Tammaatarvik, the patients who have to stay there, and also in Kitikmeot, the boarding home, in some cases an Elderly person has to go to Yellowknife.
The Kitikmeot people have to go to Yellowknife, if it’s a serious condition then they are sent down to Edmonton and they are provided with a boarding home.
They are looked after very well and I’d like to thank the department again for providing such services that are adequate in Edmonton for the residents of Kitikmeot but when they go to the Yellowknife boarding home, Lena Pederson Boarding Home, and that person is quite elderly and the department knows that person, that individual.
Under Capital Estimates, correct me if I’m wrong.
I don’t know if it’s there.
If it’s included in here I probably won’t be asking questions but if not then I’ll raise questions about the boarding homes, whether they’re going for a care or to deliver, those homes should be more welcoming and more homier to the patients that are going to the boarding home from the different communities.
I’ll raise more questions at a later time.
I would first like to thank the minister because of course there is going to be the three regional health centres that are going to be built in the regions but I have an ongoing concern about staffing those new hospitals or health centres.
But in Cambridge Bay they definitely will have to be a boarding home built.
We want to have the patients as comfortable as possible and I can recall a time when the patients use to be billeted out.
Those were patients who were there during the last part of their pregnancy and for delivery and they do need comfort and a proper place to stay while they are there and someone had stated earlier, the boarding home here, I know, is way too small.
Two years ago I had surgery here and I experienced the discomforts.
I had just gotten out, I was just in the hospital being admitted and there was an Elder who I was rooming with and I think it was a psychiatric patient that I was rooming with.
It wasn’t that I was scared of him.
I just felt that I was being in the same room with somebody who needed psychiatric care and I think that your department will definitely have to think about that if you’re going to be building boarding homes along side with those health centres and hospitals.
Mr. Chairman, I think it will be safe to say that the department is probably one of the toughest departments with a great deal of challenges that it faces and so health facilities throughout the territory some of the more older and along with the some of the schools there is some that are older facilities in the communities have been there the longest and one of the things that the minister had indicated in his opening comments, his plan over the next ten years to address some of the older facilities that were built prior to 1985.
I would imagine that there is quite a few of them.
As well, the Minister had indicated the hospital here is on schedule and construction is supposed to start early next year.
One of the things that the Chairman indicated is how that has been going over the last number of years.
I have asked those here in this House.
I surely look forward seeing some of it come through to actually being built.
One of the questions is if the Department has a study or a report or a plan on what types of services that will be offered in this facility.
We have heard a lot of talk in this House over the last little while on psychiatric facilities within Nunavut here and within the Hospital.
A lot of times, people require those services and the Minister was even talking about it here in the House.
The hospital rooms are outdated facilities now and are not meant to be used for that purpose.
I look forward to asking the Minister some questions on what are some of the functional reviews that they did on the facility and what exactly is going to be offered in there.
One of the other things that I may ask and I don’t know if the Minister will be able to answer it or if they are looking at going into capital leases for the health facilities.
At the end of the day are they going to be facilities that are owned by the Department of Health and Social Services, the Government of Nunavut, or are they going to be owned by the developer.
Another area the Minister has indicated is that a lot of these facilities are coming on line and in his comments he talks about matching Federal funding to assist in his Department in developing these facilities.
I am asking for the progress made in that.
Also these new facilities coming on line, granted this is not the Main Estimates, but surely as the Chairperson had indicated, in the planning process they should have some rough estimates for what it is going to cost to maintain these facilities, and also the plans that the department has for coming up with those resources.
We all know that the Department has overextended the amount allocated over the last three years and just for the simple reason this is not getting the resources that it needs.
These are going to be added items there and what the impact that will have.
Other than that, Mr. Chairman, those are my general comments.
We will probably have more questions when we go through the Capital Estimates.
At this time, I have no other names on my list.
Before we go into the Capital Estimates we will now open up the floor for questions.
I would like to refer back to my general comments in regards to the Baffin hospital that will be located here in Iqaluit.
Is there going to be a chapel built in the hospital?
Mr. Chairman, one of the requests by the standing committee of health about a year ago was to ensure that we did have a dedicated room for religious purposes and that is the case.
In the new facility there will be a dedicated multi-purpose room which will be used for a chapel.
So that’s the answer you’ll get.
I’m very pleased.
He stated that there will be a room, a multi-purpose room, but I was thinking more of a chapel and I would like to know exactly how big that chapel would be.
A lot people from Iqaluit go up to the hospital and people from all over Baffin.
Have you consulted with the city council on the location or the building of the hospital?
You know, from the beginning of the project, I’ve been involved in it as an MLA for Iqaluit since 1995 for the last seven and a half years.
On several occasions I have had an opportunity to discuss with the different councils.
I think there are just three mayors that have been working on this project, four maybe.
So the council has been kept up to date to transfer into the land and indeed most recently the pricing of some of the lots with the council have ongoing discussions.
And I want to say for the record again, Mr. Chairperson that I’ve been very pleased with the proactive and cooperative approach to city council and the elected council and mayors have taken in regards to this project.
Ms. Williams (interpretation): Thank you, very much for your very precise responses.
And again, I would like to make reference to the comments that I made in regards to the price of the three hospitals: $17 million in the Baffin, $16 million in Kitikmeot, how did you arrive at those figures?
Looking at the Kitikmeot, they have approximately half the number of community and half the number of people, how did you arrive at these almost similar figures for the Baffin and the Kitikmeot?
Mr. Chairman, the numbers that are given there are spread over, are spread over the number of years.
So for example, in the Qikiqtani case, the larger facility is, it costs more money.
I believe we’re budgeting 17 for the first year.
In the other two facilities cases, they are smaller facilities and the total cost is basically covered in the first and second year for the program which are indicated in the capital plan and the substantiation sheets that are in the house.
Ms. Williams: We will try and ask it in English.
My question is that the amount allocated to the Baffin and Kitikmeot region are almost the same but the population and the number of communities are very different, possibly half that are in Kitikmeot.
I’m asking: How did you arrive to this amount?
Hon. Ed. Picco: Some of determining the total cost of regions in the capital project in the five year plan for the Baffin facility for example, is $45 million 900 thousand.
But in this detail that we’re presenting today and in the capital estimates presented in the house, it’s based on the yearly amount.
In that case, the three hospital facilities, the extended care facility in Rankin Inlet as well as in Cambridge Bay and the facility here in Iqaluit.
Indeed, if you look at the total costs in the five year, you’ll notice that the larger facilities with the larger population base in Baffin, is considerably more.
I did understand that answer very well however, how much of $46 million dollars, did this money all come from this government or is there funding that came from?
Let’s say, Qikiqtaaluk Corporation or other agencies like that?
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, the amount shown under Appendix C, under Health and Social Services, 99 in the budget presented by the Minister of Finance, are monies that proposed to be spent by the Government of Nunavut.
Those do not include any monies by QC or the other development corporation, which they’re using to secure loans and so on to help facilitate the construction of the facility.
The amount show in the budget, there’s a budgeted amount that has been allocated by the Government of Nunavut.
I believe if you follow on Appendix C 23, in the book, you will note the five year Capital Plan demonstrates that amount, what the budget is and then what the planned amounts are in the preceding year.
So, I guess that’s what would be the reference to the public.
I hope that clarifies the answer.
Mr. Chairman, there are patients who are under the care of the Health and Social Services for extended care.
How many patients from Nunavut do we have who are in outside institutions?
Mr. Chairman, when you look at the number of adult patients, we believe there are about 12, there are about a dozen patients outside of the territory.
There are also some children, youth that are in extended care facilities outside of the territory.
But the number of adults in extended care outside of the territory is approximately 12.
I am referring to the patients who out patients or home care patients.
Usually the parents are sent down to see their children.
How much money does it cost for the transportation and other expenses to send these parents to see their children?
How much does it cost in a year for those parents to go see their children?
We’re trying to keep to the Capital Estimates at hand.
Mr. Chairman, you’re correct, on the Capital Budget, I don’t have the O&M figures but what I can say to the member.
One of the things that we have, with the cooperation of the Standing Committee on Health is try to repatriate and continue to keep as many children as we can in Nunavut.
So for example, Mr. Chairman, that is why we’ve been working cooperatively with the Chesterfield Development Corporation to continue the good work and repatriate home keep those patients within Nunavut.
I don’t have the dollar value on how much money is spent to send parents outside of Nunavut to visit with children who are in extended care.
In many cases though, those children of extended care, are usually severely handicapped, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped and so on.
We can provide that number to the member but we’re on the capital budget, that’s why we don’t have that with us.
So, I would commit that information to the member over a couple of days.
Please let me know Mr. Chairman, whenever I’m out of place or if I’m not talking about the Capital Estimates.
Mr. Chairman, in Kitikmeot Region, the Lena Pederson Home in Yellowknife, we felt that as Kitikmeot residents it should be replaced and when they built that health facility in Cambridge Bay and I’m pretty sure they will continue to go to Yellowknife.
I have a feeling that we will still be using the Lena Pederson Boarding Home in Yellowknife, even after Cambridge Bay health facility is built.
Can the minister let us know, when the replacement of that Lena Pederson Boarding Home will be in the Capital Estimates.
Mr. Chairman, the situation on the Lena Pederson Home has been controversial the last few years with members, several times in the committee, as well as in the house.
We have investigated the opportunities presented by looking for a newer facility or to accommodate more patients and so on.
But currently, in the Lena Pederson Home, the home is in the long term lease situation and to extricate the government from that lease would cost a considerable amount of money.
Therefore and thus we are looking at other opportunities that may present themselves in an RFP that we hope to put out over the next 4 to 5 weeks, to see if there is an opportunity for increased accommodations pay within Yellowknife for our hospital patients.
The minister mentioned about the contract or RFP.
What kind of facility are you talking about?
Are you talking about a building that is in existence, or are you talking about a new one?
Mr. Chairman, we’re looking at the opportunity in the RFP.
I don’t want the public forms, too much of what we’re saying before we actually advertise it.
What we would intend to do Mr. Chairman, is to look for the opportunity for maybe increased space for some of the patients.
Some of the concerns we have with the current facility, it seems, from some of the concerns that have been brought forward by the community, when I recently met with some of the mayors as well as the leadership, in Cambridge Bay, concerns about the home.
So, we would try in the RFP, to look at, if there is an opportunity for increased accommodation availability in Yellowknife.
At the same time, because of the conditions surrounding the lease that are in place at the Lena Pierson home, it would be very difficult for us to extricate ourselves from the lease without costing the government a lot of money, therefore, the idea coming forward with the RFP in the next few weeks.
Mr. Arvaluk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to go page by page at this time.
The member has indicated he would like to go page by page at this time.
Page 10-4. 10-4. 10-5.
Is everyone on that page?
Health and Social Services, Branch Summary, Directorate.
It’s part of 10-6, so, details of capital.
Baffin Region, total Baffin Region, 25 thousand 620.
Mr. Chairman, this covers the cost of replacing the hospital here in Iqaluit.
And maybe, just for the rest, the minister had indicated in his opening comments that he believes work was going to start this fall already.
I just want to get an update, what’s exactly where things are at with the hospital there now and what we can see start to happen over the summer.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Minister Picco.
Mr. Chairman, I guess the chronological sequence of the events for the facility, we would expect by early December of this year, we’d have schematic design for the facility completed.
The design and development will continue up until April 2003.
We hope that by March 2003, the tenders for the site work and foundation of the hospital would be prepared.
And then Mr. Chairman, we would say that the site foundation work at the site would start by September 2003, with the hospital completed, the interior by 2005 and occupancy very soon within that time frame Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned in my opening comments, the Chair of the standing committee, we’re like, six or eight months away from work being done on the facility.
Can the minister indicate what function will be held in that facility?
One of the things that was mentioned earlier by Ms. Williams, was having a chapel in there but another issue that was raised here in the house this week was the issue of having some type of facility for psychiatric patients and I’m just wondering if the minister could indicate if they had a functional, I know they had a functional review done for the facility.
If you think you could update us as to what exactly is going to be going on in this new facility and what’s going to be happening with the old facility?
Mr. Chairman, the new facility will be an acute care hospital with 35, that’s correct Mr. Chairman, 35 in patient beds.
It will have diagnostic treatment services, an operating room; we’ll also have specialty rooms, laboratory diagnostic imaging, respiratory therapy, rehabilitative therapy.
No, Mr. Chairman, it’ll continue.
It’ll have day surgery, a pharmacy, ambulatory care services, administrative services, a support services and as one of the members asked earlier, there will be a respiratory as well as a morgue in the hospital as well as a chapel facility.
The old facility Mr. Chairman, the existing hospital, after the new facility is completed, there are plans for a linkage between both facilities which will entail a walkway, pedestrian walkway which then would lend the old facility through out patients as well as some of the administrative services to the hospital, doctor’s clinic and so on.
So the continue of the newer facility and the older facility under the functional program is such that the integrity of the functional program is not depended on either or, or.
And that’s why Mr. Chairman, it’s very important that the new facility will move forward.
On the boarding services, because there are more services available again we are looking at the opportunity for increased accommodations for boarding services.
Since the minister brought it up, I’ll just mention that they’re looking at the need for more boarding facilities and that’s something that I don’t believe is in the five year plan.
I was just wondering if the minister could indicate if that is something that we’re going to be see coming into the Capital Planning Process as a priority.
Mr. Chairman, under the auspices of the Non Insured Health Benefits Program, delivered by the Federal Government, the hospital contract a ward by the Government of Nunavut facilitated by the Minister by the Government of Nunavut and the reciprocal building that is in place for those programs would mean that they are not capital projects of the Government of Nunavut.
So, for example, the new facility under construction in Winnipeg, although it will be leased by the Government of Nunavut, through out hospital boarding program, it is not a capital project of the Government of Nunavut.
Therefore it does not appear in the Capital Plan.
A pretty thorough answer, therefore I don’t have to follow-up on it unless I have another question.
Mr. Chairman, as I indicated on my opening comments and I know that something this government’s been pursuing in relations to the health facilities is, this facility here is overall is about close to 50 million dollars for the work here.
Can the minister indicate if they’re going to be getting any other funding for this facility?
I know you been looking for federal contributions and a matching level I think, it’s 50, 50 is actually a figure that the minister himself has reported to the Federal Government.
I am just wondering if he’s had any luck in pursuing that and if not when does he anticipate in receiving that help.
And if we are not going to get it, what is the impact that will have?
Mr. Chairman, as I said to Patricia Bell from CBC recently on the funding arrangement for the Hospital facility.
I think that it is very important to note that this Government, the Premier, the Finance Minister and myself has been in Ottawa several times specifically on the funding for the hospital facilities.
I have made appearances about National Commissions on Health, including Senator Michael Kirby’s Standing Committee Hearings to the Senate in Edmonton Alberta.
As well as Commissioner Romanow, who actually had an opportunity to come here to Nunavut and follow us into Pangnirtung to see our situation?
We would hope, Mr. Chairman, that the current infrastructure program under the Federal Government, although it has a 20 million dollar cap, we would believe that the Government of Nunavut needs an extra bit of help.
And I would suggest to you, Mr. Chairman, that based on the healthcare needs, the infrastructure and so on, many of the other jurisdictions in this country talked about a level playing field.
The Government of Nunavut just wants to get into the game.
We are tired of hanging around the bleachers, we need some extra help.
These projects are about 80 million dollars as the Member spoke about earlier.
We have tried to do these facilities the very best way that we could, through our own Capital Planning Process.