EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I don't know what it's like in the Keewatin or Baffin but our dental patients , children especially , are going outside of our region if they need to be anaesthetised and have their teeth extracted.
The member brings up a couple of very interesting concerns on cancer again.
I guess cancer is assiduous.
There are pre-screening that happens right now for cancer that we're aware of.
For example, on a regular basis women receive pap-smears and that’s a way in indicating for cervical cancers which are being on the rise.
There is self-examination for breast cancers but to actually have the test in place , the test for different kinds of cancers on a regular basis.
No, I'm not aware of any jurisdiction that does that.
I guess the best solution to stopping cancers that are most prevalent in the North would be to stop smoking. Lung cancer is a big problem and some of the other cancers that we have.
We realize and I realize this is a major concern.
Your chances of survival were very small. Indeed those days are gone and most cancers today if detected early enough, there is a very good percentage of patients that have survived.
On the area of the dentists, my understanding is that based on the operational requirements, that when the dentist is doing an operation, the dental therapist, and you’re pulling teeth and so on, there has to be an anaesthesiologists where they have the patient go under, as it were.
But I would like to take this opportunity to ask Mr. MacRury if he could elaborate on that area because I am not completely aware of the facts surrounding anaesthesiology. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Deputy Minister MacRury.
Mr. MacRury: On the issue of childhood, very young children can have major extractions if necessary.
Our major initiative in the department will be to launch preventive programs to try and prevent these early teeth being destroyed by the consumption of sugary liquids, usually.
It is mostly caused by children going to bed with a bottle in their mouth which has milk or tang or some sweetened liquid in it.
The liquid acts as an acid in the mouth and eats the teeth away so that by the time some children are three or four years old, they have to be put to sleep in a full operating procedure to have the teeth extracted.
Then usually what happens is the second teeth come in and they have a lot of problems with them.
They come in crooked and one under the other and there is a lot of problems with those.
So our main approach to dealing with this issue is from a preventive approach and we want to launch major prevention activities through health education at the nursing centres to try and promote health teeth in young children.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you. Mr. Puqiqnak supplementary question.
Yes, I can recall in the Kitikmeot area people used to come in, dentists used to come into our communities to extract children's teeth and the child would be put under anaesthesia in order to get their teeth extracted.
A lot of children had their teeth extracted just in the Kitikmeot alone.
When a child's teeth had been extracted, you feel for the little children because they don’t have any teeth left, then when their teeth are newly extracted there is no follow up.
Their teeth are taken out and then they are left, there is no after care treatment, no follow up care given to these children.
Their teeth are extracted and then they are left.
Do you do follow up care on children who have had to have a lot of their teeth extracted or is there any follow up treatment.
Mr. Chairman, the member makes a good point.
Indeed, as Mr. MacRury has said, one of the things that we are trying to do in this department, is a new philosophical view of health in Nunavut, is to look at the preventive side of medicine.
If we could get the mothers to stop putting tang in bottles and so on, using kool aid, and to look at chocolates and sweets and so on that is causing this major problem that we have with tooth decay, we wouldn’t get to the point where we are having to do major extractions.
But that won’t be for a while yet.
On the follow up, indeed there is follow up done.
For example, if a child at a very early age, and we know that when teeth are coming in that there is a sequence that teeth come in, and if they are taken out, if the child loses their first teeth then there is a major problem, because the teeth following the teeth that have been abnormally extracted because of decay, usually come in crooked, in the wrong place and so on.
So there is follow up done, I understand by the department.
I think the key here, Mr. Chairperson, is to look at the preventative side to make sure that teeth aren’t decaying, that children have a chance to go forward with a full set of teeth, not to have to worry about decay because at that early age of course they have no control over what we are giving them.
I guess, that’s not fair.
An interesting side note to this, is just recently I had written an article for a magazine, on how traditionally in Newfoundland people dealt with problems with teeth and toothaches, using tooth charmers.
A person would go forward to the tooth charmer and the tooth charmer would say a special little prayer and away went the toothache.
I just did an article on this so I am quite interested in teeth and teeth problems.
Just a little story for you Mr. Chairman.
We’ll take a break at this time, because I think that some of us have fallen asleep.
We will take a fifteen minute health break.
It takes us a little while to get back to our seats, even though we are anticipating the completion of the budgets.
>>Committee Recessed at 3.07 and resumed at 3.35 p.m.
Chairperson (interpretation): Please return to your seats.
We have pages here, can the pages go get the members from upstairs.
I think we can resume.
We’ll just start off, because we are running late.
Mr. Puqiqnak if you still have comments you still have time to proceed.
I know that our Minister is well aware of the fact of the population growth in the communities of Nunavut.
Most of the time in the communities the people would like to go out camping over the spring until the ice is gone and during their camping time there is sometimes children that get sick and have to be medivaced in emergency cases.
Especially when there is still some ice around and when you can’t access the communities from the outpost camps.
Not only in Gjoa Haven experiences that problem because campers can’t get back to their communities.
When one get ill in the camps they have to be medivaced by helicopter at times.
Sometimes there is no other means of getting a patient from the outpost camp other than by helicopter and they cannot use airplanes.
I have seen this myself.
In our area, it usually happens when there are families camping out for a few weeks.
The issue of picking up patients by helicopter and by airplanes, I would like to see airlines and helicopters to be available to pick up patients from the camps, and I was wondering if your department was making them available to the camps.
Either one of you, the Minister or his official can respond.
Mr. Chairman the member brings up a very interesting point.
Indeed, as a department one of the things that we are trying to do right now is look at a comprehensive medical travel study.
This would include medivacs and indeed looking at what the requirements are when people are in camps.
I want to assure the member that if someone is sick and needs immediate medical attention all means possible will be put in place to make sure that person gets the medical care that they need no matter where they are.
Now again, that depends on operational requirements, if there is no helicopter available that could get into position we would have to look at other avenues to get that person the attention that they need.
We might have to look at getting someone in by some other means.
That is part of the comprehensive medical travel study that we are doing and that we are looking at.
Hopefully over the next several months as we look at this issue, there are so many issues in the department of Health that we are trying to look at for the residents of Nunavut and it takes time.
A lot of the departments Mr. Chairman aren’t up to staff yet and I realize that in the department of Health we are one of those departments.
Our staff, my staff have been putting in a lot of hours trying to do, trying to meet the operational requirements and this is one of the things that we are trying to review. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Minister of Health & Social Services.
I just want to further point out that during breaks we should try and get back on time so that we can complete the budgets for the departments.
I think we should all try and come back after our break on time.
Mr. Puqiqnak, are you finished?
Mr. Chairman, I will ask a question in regards to the Baffin region patients sent down to Ottawa, especially from the Baffin region.
Mostly the patients stay at the hostel and they are concerned about elders.
Some elders have been sent down to Ottawa without any escorts and I have seen one elder myself personally who had no escort and usually the interpreters cannot get to the elders on time and they are short of interpreters.
So my question is what’s the status with the Ottawa patients.
Mr. Chairman the member makes a good point.
Indeed, I have had that situation with a member of my family who went down without an escort and it was a bit of a problem.
So we are aware of it as a problem.
The Baffin Regional Health Board is also aware of it and we’re trying to put in place a procedure whereas the elder who is travelling if they need an escort because of medical reasons, then they get that escort.
Based on operational requirements.  You are correct that they are using the hotel, and indeed later this month I will be visiting the Larga Home in Ottawa, there is a proposal by Larga Group through Nunasi Corporation to use that facility for unilingual people where they would have interpreters around the clock and have Inuit foods available and so on.
So I will be looking at that later this month.
I will also be visiting the Rotel in July to see the situation there with the Rotel as the Minister of Health. So on your question with the escorts, it has been reviewed,. the Baffin Regional Health and Social Services Board, and indeed the department of Health are aware of it, and escorts are used when there is a medical reason for the escorts.
I think we are pretty confident in the way that is being applied.
When the Health Services first transferred from Montreal to Ottawa, we had more concerns there were some problems at that time with the development of the services provided by Osgoode.
Mr. Akesuk, do you have any further questions.
I said I had my hand up when we were talking about tooth extraction, but I didn’t get to hear his last comment.
Chairperson (interpretation): What is your question.
I think that was just a comment. I still didn’t understand what you said.
Could you rephrase your question .
Mr. Nutarak (interpretation): When we were talking about teeth, I just wanted to say as a joke, but I just let it go ahead, that since my last name is Nutarak (child) am I going to get Nutarak teeth.
I would like to ask a question in regards to the Boarding Home in Yellowknife.
I am sure you are responsible for the Yellowknife patient home, sometimes the patient home is filled to capacity and the patients who have no room in the boarding home have to find other means of accommodation.
My question is, how do you take care of the patients, that have to stay elsewhere?
What are your plans, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Minister or your officials can respond.
Mr. Chairman, my understanding is that when the Lena Pederson Boarding Home in Yellowknife is full and there is no more space for other patients coming in that indeed the Health Board has arranged for the patients to stay at hotels in Yellowknife.
Indeed there is also home boarding available to the folks in the Kitikmeot region going to Yellowknife, patients that come over can actually board with families similar to the way it is here in Iqaluit.
I am going to ask a question in regards to the boarding homes that don’t have co-ordinators or directors who understand Inuktitut, especially the elders.
This is a problem in the boarding homes, especially when the elders have to go there and the directors or the staff in the boarding homes cannot read and write in Inuktitut.
I would like to see some co-ordinators or directors of the boarding homes to be bilingual.
Mr. Chairman, the member makes a very good point.
If we have unilingual people going to Yellowknife or Ottawa, or indeed Winnipeg, that as a department we ensure that the services are available in Inuktitut and that we have qualified translators and interpreters available.
I am not aware of the operational issues surrounding Lena Peterson’s boarding home, whether indeed they have translators or interpreters on standby or actually working directly out of the facility but I will direct the department to find out what the status of that is and get back to the member. Thank you Mr. Chairman.
In regards to elders not being able to access interpreters, I believe that fact because from Gjoa Haven there was an elder who was sent to Yellowknife who did not have an escort or interpreter.
I felt that at the Yellowknife airport that person was waiting for a very, very long time and he was stuck and didn’t know what to do and nobody knew that he was at the airport as a patient.
I urge you to ensure that the elders be escorted or have interpreters when they have to be treated outside of their home community.
Mr. Minister. I think that was more of a comment, or would you like to respond?
That is not acceptable and we agree as a department and as residents of Nunavut, as the Minister of the Department of Health that if that is the case that an elderly person is left behind at the airport or there are no translators and no one to show them where to go then it is not acceptable.
Again, I reiterate to the member that we will contact the Kitikmeot Health & Social Service Board to find out what is in place at the Lena Pederson Home and indeed, what type of set up do they have for when unilingual people arrive from one of the outlying communities, and for someone to meet them at the airport and so on.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Minister for your appropriate answer.
Mr. Chairman as the Minister is aware we are unlike the other regions of Canada and there are various types of illnesses and diseases that we are effected by here in the north and particularly Nunavut.
I am just wondering what type of wide spread studies is the Minister conducting now or looking at conducting as they relate to epidemiology?
Mr. Minister, or your officials can respond to him.
Mr. Chairman, the member raises a very good area of concern of ours at the department of Health for Nunavut.
Epidemiology and indeed the epidemiologist is a very rare field, it is very hard to hire epidemiologists.
We are fortunate that we will be having an epidemiologist working on staff.
Indeed the person just finished a university degree right now, and indeed tomorrow our Chief Medical Officer for Nunavut will be in place and our Assistant Chief Medical Officer some time after that.
We want to be able to look at all the health characteristics of Nunavut specifically.
In the past, just a short six weeks ago before April 1st, we were part of the Northwest Territories and there was an epidemiologist on staff with that department.
Indeed, the government of the Northwest Territories had problems finding epidemiologists, to look at the field of epidemiology.
So that matter is being looked into and indeed epidemiology is a very complex area of medical science and we will have an epidemiologist in place very shortly.
It takes a while for you to respond to some members.
We have to proceed with business here, your officials can respond if you don’t know the answer.
Mr. O'Brien do you have any further questions or comments.
Just one other question and I think it is a question that concerns all the members here.
I am curious as to how the Minister is going to incorporate the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit factor with the reduction of trimethane in the home?
Mr. Minister of Health & Social Services.
Mr. Chairman, when you discuss different areas, Mr. Chairman, like previously epidemiology, although it is a long answer, as I tried to explain, it is a very difficult area to understand.
Indeed many people would probably need an explanation on what epidemiology is.
So I am trying to, with your support, Mr. Chairman, give the members of this House, the explanations.
I know the answers, I gave the proper answer on epidemiology, indeed epidemiologists.
On this situation regarding trimethane as introduced by the member from Arviat, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, on looking at toxic substances and so on has incorporated like we are doing right how with other departments for example under RWED, Sustainable Development is looking at how to incorporate Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit in those types of areas, like PCB’s.
So that has been taken into context and indeed we are looking at ways of distributing it through the department.
For example, with custom adoptions we are using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
As I said earlier Mr. Chairman, with mental health we are looking at ways of using Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
Mr. O'Brien do you have any further questions?
Mr. O'Brien: Thank you Mr. Chairman and thank you Mr. Minister for that answer.
Just going back to my earlier question about epidemiology, my question was what wide spread studies is the Minister looking at, what type of issues and concerns is he going to apply this to?
Mr. Chairman, as the member probably knows and is aware, every month most members previously used to receive a copy of the Epi-North newsletter which is put out by the GNWT.
I see that the member has a copy of the newsletter with him.
On the areas that we are looking at I will give the opportunity to the Deputy Minister to respond to that because there is some exciting work being done with epidemiology in the NWT and to be continued in Nunavut.
Mr. MacRury: Mr. Chairman, one of the interesting aspects of the study of diseases or epidemiology in Nunavut has come about when we attempted to separate out the health statistics from the general NWT information that was available.
We have identified that there are studies required in several of the things that have been talked about here already today.
Cancer, is one of the things. We have a different characteristics of cancer infections in Nunavut from the NWT and perhaps from other jurisdictions in Canada.
So we are going to be looking at that.
We have different characteristics in the pre-natal and post-natal disease pattern in children.
So we are going to be looking at some of those issues.
We are going to be looking at various other characteristics around stomach complaints that have to be looked at.
So there are a broad range of issues that are different than they are in other jurisdictions, and those are some of the things that we will be looking at.
Right now we are in the process of identifying just what area we have to do those studies.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. MacRury.
Mr. O'Brien do you have another question.
Mr. O'Brien: Yes, just one follow up point to this issue.
Would you also be looking at the increase of TB in Nunavut.
Mr. MacRury: Yes Mr. Chairman, we have identified TB as a major concern.
We are in fact working on this right now, there has been a significant level of activity with TB in most of the communities in Baffin and some of the communities in the other two regions.
It is a very serious concern and we are working closely with the Baffin Regional Health Board in particular and the Chief Medical Officer will be one of their first assignments when starting will be to work on the question of TB. As a department we have reserved some money that we can allocate to special needs of the Boards and we will look at that later in the context of the budget.
Please recognize the Chairperson before speaking.
I have been sitting so long it seems like it is time to get up.
Mr. Chairman, earlier it had asked about the plans for the department in the future to deal with some of the problems that we are facing.
Mr. Chairman, I wonder two things, if we could ask the Minister for some kind of a timeline as to these plans and also who is being consulted in regards to the types of changes that we need to look at.
Minister of Health or your official.
As the members know there are several different changes that we would like to do in the department of Health.
One of them we have announced is the elimination of the Health Boards.
Mr. Dave Ramsden is working on that process right now and how we will deliver Health & Social Services after March 2000.
On the other areas most of that work is being done right now in house, we have a couple of policy analysts working on different areas and different aspects and the direction I guess that we would like to take in the department.
One of the things I am trying to do as the Minister is to have a workshop type of retreat with the senior managers of the department of Health in August in one of the communities to review our business plan and for me as a Minister to see where we are and the directions from the Standing Committee on Health we would like to go with the department of Health in Nunavut over the next several months.
I don’t know if Mr. MacRury would like to add anything to that.
Mr. MacRury would you like to make a supplementary response?
Mr. MacRury: The major change that we want to see in the department that we will be exploring over the short term is in ways that we can move the department into more prevention and promotion of health mode.
At the same time dealing with the acute care cases, have to be addressed, but in reality trying to move more in that direction of prevention and promotion.
Mr. Chairman I know that the Health Board currently is also looking at a more holistic approach to dealing with Health & Social Services program delivery within the region, and I am wondering if that is going to continue as an avenue that the department will be looking at pursuing after it takes over these services.
Mr. Chairman, indeed with the take over for example of child and social services by the Health Board is actually following the direction of the department of Health where we have talked about the holistic approach.
They are actually in lockstep with us on the delivery of those services.
So yes, the short answer Mr. Chairman is yes , the Department of Health for Nunavut is looking at a holistic and complete approach for the delivery side of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Tootoo, do you have a supplementary question.
Mr. Tootoo: Yes, thank you Mr. Chairman.
Just a suggestion, I would urge that throughout the last few months I know in my constituency and also in the Ministers’, there are numerous health care providers residing here.
After hearing their concerns I would urge the department, not only to consult with the senior managers within the department of Health but also to consult with the people that are working in the field, the nurses, the social workers, the people that are working in the field.
I would urge strongly that the department approach those people as well and not leave them out of this process.
Mr. Chairman, I think all members know and realize that as we started off this government on April 1, the expectations of our staff are very high.
As we are trying to get up to capacity as a government there has been so much demand put on our staff, hours and hours of time worked.
Indeed, we do have, I think it is safe to say, some problems with morale.
One of the things Mr. Ramsden is doing on behalf of the department of Health is reassuring our staff and indeed, I believe last week Mr. Ramsden was in the Keewatin region, so I want to take this opportunity to reassure our staff that we understand the work that they are putting in.