EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
They go see elders, and then we can take part in that.
Also, your question in that area, we have to utilize our Inuit in helping our own people.
We have to use the churches, if they want to use ministers as well. We are working with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Committees in that area. And also, the other one is the Health Integration Initiative in the communities, how can we help in that area as well?
We are trying to go forward on that area.
And also, the Community Health Committees in the communities, we can use those as well. How can they assist us to give us direction for better lifestyles for the communities?
And the Community Health Committees are well used because they know the communities.
I would like to thank the minister for responding to my question. I’m not sure what we call it in Inuktitut but those who are compassionate, I think they’re the only ones who work for the churches and do volunteer work, and looking at Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, the social workers can be friendly and be more receptive to the people if they use Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
On page H-8, we know very well and sometimes it’s a little scary to see social services when they finally smile at you and you can actually see their teeth.
There’s even times when somebody asks me if I still have teeth because, of course, I’m very young.
In regard to eating too much sugar or acid and pop, those lead to obesity and poor teeth. If we look at the junk food, they’re made down south and they’re no good for your health. I think we all know what the retail outlets do ... we see the healthy food and the Canada Food Guide.
Is it possible for us to make a Nunavut Food Guide so that we can show what healthy food is, what’s processed food, and what’s not good for you?
The comments you just stated, we’re trying to promote to use less pop and also trying to educate the community on what’s bad food for your body.
Also, we use dentists, and we’re also using the posters as well.
We’re trying to educate them in that area that pop is not good for you.
So we are trying to promote better lifestyles and a healthier lifestyle by promoting what’s good for you.
We’re trying to use the Public Health Strategy, as well, to promote what is good in having a healthier lifestyle.
I also commented that the other day on ‘Drop the Pop’ and that so because it doesn’t help to have healthy teeth and stuff like that.
We will always be like that and promote a healthy lifestyle.
Do you show those in the schools, or in the nursing centres?
We have to focus on the younger children who are in the elementary schools. When you tell them something they tend to believe. We do try and get the information to the high schools, but we have to focus on the little children who are in elementary schools.
If they’re given the information by their teachers and by their parents and have the information visible out there, I think they’ll get the message.
We didn’t know what was good for you; that pop wasn’t good for you.
How do you make that information visible at the community level?
Various prevention initiatives that are undertaken in the communities are delivered through different means; through radio; through television ads; through posters; through contests. Drop the Pop is a contest that we had initiated and now adopted through other jurisdictions.
That’s one example of reaching the young people about prevention and healthy living and lifestyle.
Around dental care, we reach through the schools. We provide information to the daycare centres. At the same time we also have Well Men, Well Women, as well as the Elders Day Programs just to speak to people around proper diet, the impact of poor diet, diabetes, living with diabetes, and so on; the cause of smoking and cancer, so that it’s all different levels.
Part of the roles of every health centre is to do promotion; whether it’s through radio, or meeting with students, and that is carried out through the community health representatives in each community.
As we go forward in trying to enhance the services of wellness committees and I see them having a real role as well in promoting prevention, and keeping people healthy at the community level.
We recognize that we have the health centres and services in place to treat people when they are sick but we need to put more resources and energy in keeping people healthy in our communities.
On that same subject I wanted to make a comment and to supplement one of my colleague’s questions, or comments that they brought.
I wanted to touch up on the dental program.
I would like you to make a statement on the dental program and whether they’re contracted, or not.
What I hear is that in Rankin Inlet, for example, you try to make an appointment and they tell you that the visiting dentist will be coming in at a certain month.
At times it seems to be a hopeless situation. For example, some children have a toothache but they can’t see a dentist because there is no one around, when there are services available out there.
We had one of our grandchildren who had a loose tooth and he didn’t want it pulled out.
I don’t know what they did but it eventually came out.
He was in pain for a while.
I think it would be best if you make a statement so that you can give us the information by region what the dental services are.
We also use old products. Is it because we are trying to keep the costs low, or is that the best for your patients that require those products?
Even the elders know that when they get dentures they know what kinds are easily broken and I think that we only get the old product.
Is it because the government has to buy those or is it done strategically so that we can keep the costs down?
If you would respond to those two questions, please.
Currently the Dental Program in Nunavut, the number of dental service days and the number of trips to each community are designated by Health Canada and are covered through Health Canada. There is a breakdown of the number of dates a service is provided to communities.
In terms of the products used, whether they are outdated or not, I don’t know the answer to that question, but I can certainly provide that information. As well we provide ortho-services and specialist services in centres in our communities and oral surgery.
I guess the overall goal here is to keep people’s teeth healthy. That’s part of the initiative that we are trying to address in the prevention side and at the same time provide services in the communities where we can.
Currently, though, we do have a contract with Health Canada on the number of days that they will cover for costs of dental, and this is one area that we had said we wanted to reopen the discussions with Health Canada.
In terms of products used, I don’t know what the products used are as related to other products used out of the Nunavut territory to respond to that member and what particular product is in question.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I don’t really understand. Are you following the Health Canada guidelines because I believe they are a delivery agent and I believe they are given to you?
It would be helpful if after you get all the information, you make a statement.
As a minister, you have to be ahead of everything.
You should have an idea what they use, what materials they use.
Last year, during the winter, a person who makes the dentures, who sells to the dentists all across Canada asked how he could be used. Since I am not a minister, I don’t know if the dental services are tendered out.
So I just said that I didn’t know and I probably would have known if I was a minister.
I would recommend even if they cost more, then they should get the best quality.
They don’t have to be the most state-of-the-art or the highest price.
You already spend a lot of money for the dentists to come up and even before the service is provided you are required to sign. I don’t know where. It’s probably for the billing.
I asked that last year. I have to sign it, only after you complete the task, what you have to do.
I even said that it would probably cost more than the service provided to me. Is that the actual case, minister?
The program we provide, the Dental Services Program is funded by Health Canada. The number of days set aside for every community is determined by Health Canada.
So, first of all, that addresses the issue around the number of days that the dentists are in the community. In some communities we have full-time staff in the community. In terms of the programs as to what will be covered for treatment, again, that is covered by Health Canada.
The Non-Insured Health Benefits Program covers our glasses, dentures, fillings, cleaning, all of that. That is covered through Health Canada. The number of days, in terms of service per community, again, is covered by Health Canada.
They provide that service to us.
We recognize we need to do more in terms of more time in the community and have said that we need to negotiate with Health Canada, not only the issue around dental programs, but for eye glasses, for medical travel, for boarding homes, everything that is covered under the Health Canada Non-Insured Health Benefits Program.
So we recognize that.
In terms of the specific equipment the person is talking about, I don’t know what they are. I don’t know.
There is much equipment used by dentists.
What they are, I can’t respond to that because I don’t know specifically what the member is referring to.
I suspect it might be related to dentures as an example. But I can get that information in terms of how we compare to other jurisdictions. In terms of who covers the cost of providing dental services to people, it is Health Canada as it is right now.
Under dental promotion, exactly what.... because there is $42 million, exactly what do they do?
Some of them are under non-insured health.
I believe the minister has the authority over the Dental Program so we can get up-to-date services.
All the products that are delivered to Inuit, even though they are paid for by the federal government, you don’t contract the dentists, or the federal government doesn’t bill you.
I want to know exactly how that is from you or from your officials.
Hon. Leona Aglukkaq: In terms of who pays the bill for the treatment, Health Canada does. Health Canada pays for every treatment provided within the communities.
I’ll get Dave Richardson to answer how we administer the contracts as it relates to the people that do the service in the communities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The standards for the dental program covered under the Non-Insured Health Benefits are set by Health Canada.
We contract on their behalf with the dentists as providers for the services, and the products and the standards of services are defined under the Insurance Program for Health Canada.
Service standards are set through Health Canada and we enter into the contracts based on those standards.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you. I wonder if the minister would have the authority to the federal government, even though there are guidelines, because they get not very good quality dentures.
It’s not very good for the patient. I know they are contracted and we can’t really say how long it will be and you’re not too sure what it is, even though they go through those standards.
I wonder if the department can review it because the federal government will not say to you or Nunavummiut, we’re going to make improvements because it’s not running smoothly.
They won’t say that. But I think as a government it would be better that you should review and make recommendations.
Those are the concerns that we hear.
Maybe you should do a complete review ... (interpretation ends) ...what does the territorial government do with these dental services and programs, and what’s the role of Government of Nunavut on all of these dental delivery services in Nunavut?
(interpretation) I will have another question later.
In terms of reviewing, we are working on that review and we recognize we need to enhance the number of days that Health Canada covers for services in the communities. Not only that, we are dealing with the other jurisdictions, the two territories on the same issue as they have the same challenges in negotiating those types of issues and challenges in providing the service and the contract that we work under.
In terms of what services we provide by community for the dentists, there is specialist service that’s also provided in the contracts that travel to the communities - the orthodontists, oral surgeons, and denturists.  The orthodontist provides the visits to every region every six weeks.
An oral surgeon visits each region every four months, and the denturist visits the communities on a case appointment basis to the number of the patients referred. In most communities they visit twice a year.
We provide the oral surgeries in areas where we can provide it in the hospitals in Yellowknife and in Churchill, as an example.
The areas in terms of prevention, many of the prevention programs that we’re covering relate to keeping children informed of caring for teeth; advising young parents on how to care for their newborn children’s developing teeth; counselling services; the tippy cup program for toddlers that are provided to the daycare centres as well as young mothers; there’s screening for preschool aged children at daycare facilities, again, to teach young people to care for their teeth; the promotion prevention side; educational awareness programs through radio, through television, and through the newspapers throughout the territory.
So the prevention piece is there, as well as the treatment of individuals.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Just quickly.
We will be asking questions in regard to the review as to when it will be completed and we will want to be informed when you can table the information or report.
But, in regard to social issues, there was a question posed and there was a response.
Why do we have so many individuals with social problems? And just to provide the same line of questioning because in the past, Inuit people had a lot of social problems and the traditional counselling ways I believe, were very beneficial because the elders would counsel individuals, or young people that were having problems, whether they are old or young people, when they have unresolved issues.
We are not doing that today, it seems like the government is responsible for social issues and it seems like that, according to what you will want to work, or in line with Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Why is it so difficult to at least have one community, to at least have one Inuktitut counsellor, who knows our culture? Why can’t you hire an Inuit consultant? What is preventing you from hiring an Inuk consultant?
Minister Aglukkaq?
To have an elder in every community to provide these services would require resources.
We have Inuit employees in the communities that have Inuit knowledge as well, that are there, but not in all cases.
So there is some of that, but in terms of what we are required to provide for services through the social workers, those are defined through the legislation that we have to administer as it is right now.
In terms of addressing how we can better incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, we can look at that, there are ways to I think address the gap that you are suggesting.
As it is right now, we don’t have the resources to recruit elders to provide that service, but at the same time, through legislation we have to meet the requirements under legislation.
In implementing or providing, for instance, the Child Welfare Act as an example, probation services through the courts. Those are the kinds of services currently provided by the social workers in the communities.
Not just the piece on counselling, but it is quite large in terms of the services provided at the community level.
Chairman: Thank you Minister, Mr. Curley.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I can state that the government legislation is not very good and they can be amended, if need be. (interpretation ends) Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is not blanket coverage for knowledge; I want it understood that we are talking about cultural knowledge as it relates to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
(interpretation) Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit is segregated, like wildlife knowledge, so you can be provided with assistance because there are a lot of individuals who are hurting out there.
We do not need to wait for why the government cannot get Inuit consultants.
Mr. Chairman, I will work with the minister responsible for CLEY to come up with suggestions on how we can address counselling and how we can incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in the areas of social work.
I will also consult the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Committee on how we can move forward on that type of issue.
But I also want to say again, we have Inuit employees in the communities.
They are there as well to bridge the gap, meeting the requirements under the legislation and bringing their Inuit knowledge to the job as well.
So I don’t want to exclude the knowledge of the Inuit employees that are currently working in the field, and at the same time we need to recognize that they also contribute and some of that is through promotions and initiatives at the community level.
I will speak to my colleague and consult the Inuit Qaujimanituqangit Katimajiit and seek advice on some suggestions on how we can address that at the community level.
We’re on H-8, which includes H-9 and H-10.
Healthy Children, Families, and Community.
Total Operations and Maintenance. $49,608,000.
Did you want to speak?
Please raise you hand high.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): Thank you. This Transportation, $8,800,000; I need some clarification first of all.
What is that going to be used for and where does that money go? That is my question to the minister.
The Travel and Transportation of the $8,800,000 relates to accommodations, boarding homes, and medical travel co-payment and some ambulance fees.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): If you can further clarify that sum, is some of it used for salaries?
I wanted to get more detail.
I wanted to hear the break-down because we use large sums of money for travel and transportation.
Can you explain it further?
Salaries are under compensation and benefits. The $8 million is directly related to expenditures under boarding homes, medical travel, co-payments, accommodations, and ambulance.
Mr. Curley (interpretation): For all the boarding homes in the three regions, is that where they get their funding from?
Mr. Curley (interpretation): I think the minister traveled to a meeting last year, I think it was Levinia when she was the minister.
Annually the minister has to travel to monitor the boarding homes, or you send your senior officials because for the boarding home in Winnipeg we cannot keep up with the problems.
With regards to the lack of having escorts, I think the boarding home picks up the patients from the airport. Elders have had concerns in Winnipeg.
They get concerned about whether they will be picked up at the airport or not because there was an individual, an 80 year old elder, who stated that he is so used to traveling that he got tired of waiting for the driver and he saw the vehicle parked waiting.
There are a lot of problems in regard to the boarding home issues.
Although the officials say that the boarding homes are operating very well but I believe there is room for improvement in the Keewatin region. In the Baffin region we hear through the radio, at least they listen to the radio, but for the boarding home operations in the Keewatin, they are gambling places. That boarding home is used as a gambling place.
Although we’re told that they’re adults and they’re free but the facility is not there but you probably have a strong elbow.
You could probably elbow them a bit; elbow their contractors a bit, so the contractors should stop that.
We hear that they gamble all night long with cards.
I was wondering if the minister could look into that and report back to us. Although I will be visiting the boarding home, I don’t want the boarding home people to know when I will be visiting the community.
If they expect me they will improve the boarding home situation.
Could the minister respond to me?
I have visited every boarding home and each boarding home is in different situations and faces some challenges.
I went again this year, starting February, to Yellowknife, as well as the one in Edmonton.
I am further planning to visit the other ones.
The services provided by the boarding homes, we have developed the standards for the operators.
Each operator is aware what services they are to provide to the patients that are in the boarding homes.
We have some challenges in some of the communities, or some of the areas where a boarding home is being provided because of capacity.
The situation in Ottawa is one where it is most serious for us to address in that they are beyond capacity.
We are moving forward in trying to address that immediate need to expand the facility in Ottawa to address the situation.
In some areas we are doing very well. There are always areas where we can do better in providing service.
One of the things that we would do is develop the standards of the operators so that it’s consistent in terms of what services are offered in Edmonton, Yellowknife, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and here.
So we are working towards that and I recognize his concerns and the concerns of his constituents and I hear similar issues from other members as well.
We are trying to work towards some of those and address them.
We’ll continue to try and address each case. Some of them are on a case-by-case basis, as well, that we need to address.
Mr. Curley: It is quite important that MLAs understand what the standards of the GN are. Could the minister please table those standards to us, or provide them to all the MLAs so that we will not be hopping at the minister for over and above the standards that she has.
It would be helpful.
One of the questions: do the standards that you mentioned allow gambling in those facilities?
We do not allow gambling in the facilities and we don’t encourage gambling in the facilities.
If there is a concern, or complaint the member can raise I will follow that up. The service providers are not to allow gambling in our facilities. It’s a place for people to get better; the boarding home that’s boarding people that are sick.
So the environment that we try and promote is an area where it is comfortable for people to recover from their illness and gambling is not one of them.
I appreciate the minister’s frank answer to that but I could tell the minister that during the last few years in the Kivalliq boarding home in Winnipeg, the operators have permitted gambling.
The minister is going to have to account for that problem because there are patients that are being completely disappointed, disgusted really, in seeing that kind of thing being permitted in those facilities.
I want to address one other thing.
The drivers that are responsible for ensuring that the patients are picked up and delivered to the boarding home, are they actually responsible for picking up the patients inside the terminal instead of outside the terminal?
To address his earlier comments, I will contact the contractor for the Winnipeg boarding home and ask him to follow up on the concern the member has raised around gambling and I will have a response from him, and share that with the Members of the House.
The responsibilities of each boarding home is to provide a pick up at the airport and to transport the patient arriving from the airport to the boarding home as part of their contract services. At the same time their boarding homes provide transportation to and from the appointment of those individuals in various locations of the boarding homes.
My question is in regard to the boarding home. Drivers seem to do whatever they want to do. Yesterday I was told, probably about two weeks ago, from a patient that went to Winnipeg, that maybe the driver did not like him.
He just dropped him by the hotel. I don’t know why we didn’t get any answer about that whatsoever.
I just wanted to find out what kind of responsibilities they have. This individual that got dropped off does not speak English at all.
I wonder why those drivers treat patients that way and the individual had not had any alcohol consumption whatsoever.