EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
As an example Mr. Speaker, in the numbers that I gave earlier, we had 145.5 nursing positions, term and indeterminate positions in Nunavut.
Of that, at the present time Mr. Speaker, there are 19 out of 145 positions which are agency nurses.
So Mr. Speaker, that number is quite low, but the member is correct when you hire an agency nurse you are paying a premium for that service and that is one of the reasons why Mr. Speaker, we are continuing with the recruitment and retention issues as well as the recommendations from the Najat Report last year.
I think finally Mr. Speaker, over the past several weeks we have a team right now in southern Canada recruiting again for us.
We have recruited the Australian nurses who will come after Christmas.
So actually Mr. Speaker, we are actually in a better position now than we ever have been as a government since April 1, 1999.
Question 341 - 1(5): Dental Therapist for Baker Lake School
Mr. Speaker, my question today is to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
It is an ongoing concern in my community. It doesn't seem to have been addressed properly.
I had asked the minister the last time I was in the House, and it is regarding dental services to the community of Baker Lake.
Can the minister inform me, so I can inform my community, if and when and ever we are going to see a dental therapist back into the school in Baker Lake.
Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity as Mr. McLean had mentioned to look into the situation regarding dental services.
As the member knows, we have done a review of dental services, not only in the Keewatin, but over across Nunavut.
We are also in the position Mr. Speaker, of trying to get more dental therapists in the communities, and the latest information to me is that there will be an increase in the frequency of dental visits into the member's community.
I don't know if the Honourable Minister heard my first question.
The first part of the question was when does the community of Baker Lake expect to see, if ever a new dental therapist in the school.
Mr. Speaker, we have six positions for dental therapists in the Keewatin region, half of them are filled right now, there are three vacant positions including Baker.
Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of recruitment of dental therapists.
We would hope some time in the New Year Mr. Speaker, that we would have that position filled.
Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that we have over 350 children registered in the school, the elementary school in Baker Lake and another couple of hundred in the high school.
Probably within the last six or seven months we have had no dental therapists or dental visits into my community that I can recollect.
I could be corrected, and I am sure the minister will let me know, but I also asked a question in regards to when we were going to see more dental visits.
I haven't seen a dentist in Baker Lake for months and months now.
Can the minister responsible let me know if we are ever going to see a dentist in Baker Lake.
Mr. Speaker, the information provided to me indicates that there have been at least two dental visits in the past six months in Baker Lake. Indeed from working with the member proactively, we are looking at increasing those numbers in Baker Lake. The member will remember a letter he had written to me and actually a written question in the House, where we actually went through the frequency of dental visits in Baker Lake.
There has been a concern that there wasn't a denturist, and that's the person of course Mr. Speaker, that fixes false teeth and that, and we are looking into that right now.
I will try to keep it short.
In the minister's response he said Baker Lake would have had 85 days a year of dental visits and he said the dentist has been in Baker Lake twice in the last six months.
Can he tell me how many days they have been in the community. Because I am getting older and my memory is not as good as it used to be.
So I wonder if the Honourable Minister would let me know how often the dentist has been there in the last six months.
He says it's twice but actually how many days has the dentist spent in the last six months.
Mr. Speaker, the member is quite good with his questioning.
Indeed, he likes to imply and I would imply back Mr. Speaker, that the member has said that he hasn't remember seeing a dentist in the past six months, and he just responded that indeed we had I believe maximized out to at least 85 visit days.
There are 365 days in a year Mr. Speaker, and if you divide that into six months, you would come up with a good figure, 180 and divide that.
So I would suggest to you Mr. Speaker, I don't know the number of days that the dentists has actually been in Baker Lake in the last twelve months, but Mr. Speaker, I will get that information for the member.
Question 342 - 1(5): Surgery Schedules & Issues
In Nunavut, it is important that there are doctors in the regions.
How are the surgeons keeping up with the demands in Nunavut.
Are the patients getting seen in a timely manner.
Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we try to do at the first point of contact with a patient is when a diagnosis is made by the community health nurse or a doctor and if that person needs a referral then it is done expeditiously.
On the question on staffing, and I believe the member had asked about the staffing of doctors, if I am not mistaken, right now Mr. Speaker, according to the information provided to me, is that at the Baffin hospital for the Baffin region we are fully staffed up until at least the summer of 2002.
We have five long term contracts in place Mr. Speaker, the Kivalliq is also fully staffed and the Kitikmeot is fully staffed with positions.
I should also add Mr. Speaker, we are in the process right now and I just had a meeting with you, of placing a dedicated doctor who will be serving the community of Arviat very shortly.
The minister has just said the positions are currently all filled.
A lot of times when a patient has to have surgery, they often have to go back for a follow up visit.
For those patients that end up with problems arising from their surgery, an infection or they need stitches cleaned, for example.
For instance if I was a surgeon and Rebekah was a surgeon, would we have consistent results.
Or would one doctor do better than another Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, with surgeries themselves, if there is an operation, my understanding again Mr. Speaker, is that if a person after surgery is completed, in most cases, depending on what type of surgery it was, they would remain for example, in this case, in Iqaluit where the doctor would do a follow up.
Then when they are sent back to their home community, nursing staff at the community level is also trained to follow up on the surgery to make sure the wound is cleaned, the stitches and so on.
There has been a delay and the member is correct, there has been a delay in some of the surgeries performed at the hospital here because of the volume and the number of surgeries.
Indeed, in some cases Mr. Speaker, because of the nature of the surgery that was to be performed, we actually had to send people to Ottawa, because of the complexity.
So that's a couple of the cases that I am aware of.
My question was not where would they send a patient that had a problem after their surgery.
It was, if the stitches were infected, sometimes it comes from doing a rush job.
If a patient from Pond Inlet had problems with her surgery, they would have to send her back to Ottawa doubling the cost of transportation.
Mr. Speaker, it depends on the complication with the surgery.
As I said Mr. Speaker, if there was an infection in the surgical procedure that had been performed, depending on what the doctor's analysis was, that person may be sent to Ottawa, if in this case it was in the Baffin region.
If it was one of the other regions in Nunavut, maybe to Edmonton or Yellowknife, Winnipeg or Churchill.
Mr. Speaker, if the complication was an infection that could be handled at the community level then the nursing staff would be able to do that at the health centre.
In some cases, people have to be sent to the south after surgery, which is ascertained by a medical professional like the doctor or the attending physician.
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): I think the minister might be misunderstanding me.
I’m talking about in Nunavut for patients that receive surgery in Nunavut.
I’m not referring to patients that travel outside of Nunavut.
When a surgery is performed in Nunavut, the reason why I asked this is because fewer funds could be used, we could be saving money if the surgery was done properly.
Are all surgeries done the same way for a particular need.
Mr. Speaker, there may be some misrepresentation or misunderstanding in the translation so I may try to look at it a different way.
Right now in Nunavut the only hospital accredited for surgery is here in Iqaluit, the Baffin regional health facility.
If there’s a concern after the surgery that would be again ascertained by the physician on hand and in most cases the person would stay in Iqaluit, would stay in Nunavut.
If the person had to be referred out, that’s what would be done at the regional centre.
The member’s correct, once you start having to ship people out there would be extra cost to us and that’s part of the reason for the two other facilities we’re trying to bring out in Rankin and in Cambridge Bay to cut down those costs and do more of that type of work here in Nunavut.
Question 343 - 1(5): Medical Travel Cost Options
Mr. Speaker, I’d like to direct my question to the Minister of Health and Social Services.
The people of Nunavut endure a high cost of living in Nunavut, there’s a high cost of transportation.
My question is, are you looking for ways to use less funds for transporting patients.
Mr. Speaker, about two months ago I announced that we would be doing a review of all medical travel.
We have done a Request for Proposals to look at all medical travel and medivac travel.
We have two areas of travel within the Government of Nunavut through Health.
One of them we actually send patients out and the other one is medivac. There’s medical travel and medivac.
Mr. Speaker, the member’s correct it is very expensive.
So we’re looking at ways of bringing those costs down and that’s part of the plan we have in place for the Request for Proposals.
Is it just a review or are they just looking into this when nothing’s going to happen.
Are they really going to do a review and really take care of this problem.
Mr. Speaker, the member’s correct, sometimes all we do is review things.
In this case Mr. Speaker, we will be taking the analysis and hopefully being able to convert some of the contracts we have in place.
For example, Mr. Speaker, here in the Baffin we save over 25 percent on airline travel with the agreement we have in place with First Air.
This morning I was meeting with the delegates from Canadian North, again to look at maybe opportunities in the New Year where we could actually have some cost savings in flight travel.
Mr. Speaker, I think it is also important to point out that our increase of 40% in one region for travel, was a direct result of increased ticket costs.
Once the ticket costs go up, like fuel prices are passed on to airline travel, then our costs increase also.
So that was over 40%.
So all those factors need to be taken into place, and that's what we are in the process of doing Mr. Speaker.
I appreciate his response, but there was a decrease of 7% for fuel in Nunavut but an increase in transportation costs.
I would like to find out what he is doing about it, how is he reviewing this.
Mr. Speaker, the review is on two phases.
One is on the actual medivac costs, where we contract an individual carrier in the three different regions to do medivacs.
That's where for example, if there was an emergency case, we would have to send a plane in and take that patient out.
The second part of the review would be on medical travel and that's where we send people for example to Ottawa or to Iqaluit to attend a specialty clinic or whatever.
The third phase is Mr. Speaker, is the point that I have been making for about a year and a half now.
That's the negotiations we are involved in with the Federal Government.
Right now the Federal Government pays 250 dollars per ticket.
Mr. Speaker, the average ticket cost for us in Nunavut is about 18 hundred dollars.
So the negotiations that we are doing right now with the Federal Government and have been doing, under the NIHB or the Non-Insured Health Benefits, is to do exactly what the member is asking for, that's to get more money from the Federal Government, because that responsibility we believe lies with the Federal Government on medical travel.
So we are still in negotiations.
So we are doing three things Mr. Speaker, one is to review, the other is on the medivac contracts, we are talking to the airlines and at the same time Mr. Speaker, we are negotiating with the Federal Government.
I understand that and I would like to ask another question.
If I stayed with one airline the same flight goes to Clyde River and Pond Inlet and the tickets are very expensive.
The increase in the costs to the tickets happens very quickly.
Also, if the mine is closed in Nanisivik the costs of airline travel will increase again.
Especially for the patients.
We need to review this very carefully to find out where we can cut costs.
With that I would like to ask about the airlines, especially First Air, when they are transporting patients, have you done a review to determine the costs, if there are different costs for a passenger ticket versus the medivacs.
I was wondering if you have done any review of this.
Mr. Speaker, indeed we have done some work on that.
In our initial review, at the present time with the contract in the Baffin with First Air, serving Clyde and Pond and the other communities Mr. Speaker, off the regular ticket price, which is the ticket price that a regular person would be paying towards medical travel, we are saving about 25% right now on the total costs at the end of each fiscal year.
That's something Mr. Speaker, that we are doing a review on.
On March 31, 2002, that contract with First Air will be up and we are looking at right now Mr. Speaker, a way of economies of scale of how we could do that contract again, or should we look at some other airline.
Question 344 - 1(5): Length of Time to Hire Social Workers
I will be directing my question to the Minister Responsible for Human Resources.
So that we will have a clear understanding, in English they call them social workers.
We have problems with vacant social worker positions in our community and last year I found out in one of Akesuk's communities that they didn't fill the position for social worker for a long time.
Yesterday I directed a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, and I would like to make an addition to the question I asked yesterday.
Can the Minister of Human Resources tell the House how long it takes to fill a social worker position once job openings are posted.
Filling social worker positions usually takes longer than other government positions.
If an individual is hired, then social workers are assigned to different communities.
Why does it take so long to fill the social worker positions after putting out the advertisement.
Minister Responsible for Human Resources.
Mr. Speaker, the social worker profession is under pressure as well in respect of individuals that service that sector, similar to nurses and other professionals.
I can't say definitively how long it takes, but I can tell the member that there is a structure and a process to go through.
In conjunction with department's requests for positions, the Department of Human Resources assists in putting out first of all the job competition. Then they help the department to screen, participating in the screening of potential candidates, in organizing the interviews of those potential candidates and then in making job offers and after that in making reference checks of individuals that may be selected and prior to them being made the formal job offer.
So there's a whole process that is undertaken and I know in respect of the social worker positions that there are individuals that are awaiting some follow up requirements for reference checks, prior to being offered the final position.
I don't have the definite, but I am aware that there are several individuals that are waiting some final reference checks before being made final offers Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, can the minister tell me what happens once the social workers are offered a job, are they assigned to specific communities once they are hired.
Do you look at the communities' needs and the priorities.
For example, if they need a social worker on a priority basis, do you take these things into account.
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Human Resources as I indicated supports the departments requests for identifying individuals, getting them right through to the process of being signed on as an employee and some of the orientation after they have accepted a job offer and moved to Nunavut.
It is up to the departments actually where the assignment of those positions are.
In the case of, usually what happens is, if you have a specific position that you are recruiting for it is already determined where that location may be.
There are some times general ads, as the member alludes to, for social worker positions because there are so many vacancies and they will be brought in respect of requesting social worker candidates for work in Nunavut. Then it will be up to the Ministry at that particular time to assign those individuals to different communities based on what the department sees as their priorities.
The Department of Health and Social Services determines what they see as the priorities for those positions.
Mr. Irqittuq (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the social workers, when you have job openings for them, what kind of qualifications do they require.
The local community individuals, could they be recognized even though they are not certified social workers.
Hon. Kelvin Ng: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, it depends on the level of the social worker responsibilities as advertised and what's required.
Those come from the Department of Health and Social Services in respect to social services and what criteria they would require for the positions that are being advertised.
Like I tried to indicate and explain to the member, the Department of Human Resources assists the departments that want to recruit.
So it is basically up to the departments though to set the criteria for the individuals that they are hiring.
We do assist as the Department of Human Resources, in trying to facilitate classification requirements if that is required.
If a department wants to amend the qualification levels and the classification levels for jobs as well.
But it is really up to the sponsoring department of what the criteria is.
Supplementary. Oral Questions. Mr. Puqiqnak.
Question 345 - 1(5): Future Mine Openings
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I will be directing my question to the Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development.
This is about Nunavut's two mining sites, which will be closing.
It is evident that they will close, Nanisivik will close September 2002, and Little Cornwallis Island, Polaris Mine, will close in July 2002.
Once they are closed, it will have a negative impact in the communities.
Although they are not in my riding I am concerned.
The Nunavut community residents have been working in those mines and they will be closing in 2002.
I would like to ask the minister, will there be any other mines opening some time in the future in Nunavut.
Speaker: Minister Responsible for Sustainable Development. Minister Akesuk.
In Nunavut we are now working at developing mines.
As long as they will not have a negative impact on the environment, we do a review before they open, and the Nunavut residents go to work in these mines.
I would like to work with these individuals and mining companies in order for the mines to benefit Nunavut.
If we are able to open the mines, providing they are feasible, we will try and open them.
Yes I understand your response and it is evident that the two mining sites will close.
Once they’re closed it’ll have a negative impact especially for those employees who work in those mines.
That’s why I’m trying to ask you a question.
How many existing mines do we have in Nunavut or are there not any existing mines other than the two mines we have here.
Yes, there are three mines existing and two are going to close in the near future, one on Cornwallis Island and one at Nanisivik.
The third one is the Lupin Mine.
I know that we’ll have to replace the mines and we have to hope for other mines in the future after the closure of the two mines, especially for my constituency of Taloyoak and Gjoa Haven.
Every summer the geologists go to do their geological work and exploration work.
In my two constituencies every year they do exploration work and they find ore.
Before there is an agreement and they will be doing geological work what kind of an arrangement should we have.
Should we have an agreement with the government or should we have an agreement with the companies so that they can start opening new mines.
His questions are very important.
But it takes quite a while to open up a mine.
There are procedures to follow prior to opening a mine.
There are couple of sites near Baker Lake and Rankin Inlet, they are working on the development of those mines and it takes quite a while.
We’ll have to work with the Impact Review Board and Nunavut Water Board.
We’ll have to work with these entities.
The companies have to work with these entities to make sure that there’s no hazard to the environment and so mining won’t become hazardous or a safety issue in Nunavut.
So we have to abide by the procedures in order for us to open mines and we have to do a proper review prior to opening a mine so there won’t be any contamination to our wildlife or our environment.
We’ll have to review all these things and we have to follow through with this procedure prior to opening a mine.
Today your department gives assistance and contributions in various areas.
In Kitikmeot communities, such as Kugluktuk, we have to apply to get contributions or grants.
I know that in my community of Gjoa Haven and Taloyoak every summer there are some individuals who do mineral exploration as they are hunting.
The funding that is made available through your department as a contribution, is this ongoing with your department.
Will it be a long term program.
It is a long term program in Nunavut.
We need the assistance of the individuals of Nunavut to do the exploration work.
There are 143 graduates in geology work and exploration and we will, to the best of our ability, try to have this program continue.
Sorry, Mr. Puqiqnak you have used up all your supplementaries.
Question 346 - 1(5): Priorities for Status of Women Council
My question is directed to the Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth.
The Status of Women Council meets in different communities.
Can the minister inform the House as to what their priorities are in their work.
In my minister's statement I said that the Status of Women Council is dealing with the Status of Women Council Act.
I would like to ask the minister a supplementary question.
It has been about two years that they have been having meetings in Nunavut.
Are they just finally doing their Status of Women legislation review now.
The Status of Women Council acquired the NWT legislation and what they are doing now is amending their legislation to make it more relevant to Nunavut so it could be Nunavut friendly.
I thought I used up my supplementaries.
Yes, I understand the minister's response and the Status of Women Council Act should be relevant to Nunavut.
I just wondered when that will be completed.
Hon. Peter Kattuk (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don't have the answer to that question at this time, but all Nunavut boards are trying to update their legislation and they also want to be compatible with NSDC.
They are looking at their Act with NSDC to see how they can best amend the legislation to be more relevant to Nunavut.