EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
I know during this latest flu epidemic that we had, some of the health centres were challenged and the nurses were getting sick.
Some of the health centres were only open for emergencies.
It does create a continual challenge.
Again, that’s part of the model of care evaluation that we’re doing, that we want to make sure that clinics like the well-man clinics, well-woman clinics, well-baby clinics at set times throughout the day, but we also want to make sure that through our model of care, again, we’re evaluating the numbers of staff in some of the health centres.
It’s an issue that we recognize and we’re taking a look at how we can solidify the level of care.
Thank you for answering my question very clearly.
This will be my final comment.
This winter just after Christmas in Kugaaruk there were a lot of people with the cold and flu. There are really no cold remedies in the health centre.
The nurse in charge came due to the flu vaccine. The nurse in charge in my community announced on the radio that everybody needs a flu vaccine, which was good to hear.
I just wanted to point that out and I don’t have any further questions.
Some of the questions I was going to pose have been asked already, so I’m going to ask a brief question.
First of all I will elaborate on the Member for Tununiq’s question in regard to the Tammaativvik Boarding Home.
I have been talking about this issue for quite some time and the service needs to be improved.
It was recently announced that a bed was made for a senior citizen to sleep on the floor.
This issue has been raised ever since I became a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Elders are a priority, as we keep saying in the House, especially for patients who cannot take care of themselves like people in wheelchairs, and they need proper space.
Are you going to start dealing with that?
As the minister had stated earlier, he seems to have heard about the elders sleeping on the floor and they are not supposed to be put on the floor to sleep because they are a priority and they should be provided adequate care.
Are you going to start doing that?
We work with the contractor to make sure that there are beds available and where there isn’t, there’s an attempt to find auxiliary through hotels, bed and breakfasts, billets, and that type of thing to be able to provide a bed.
In addition to that, as I had mentioned, there’s usually a request that goes around the facility for people that would be willing to give up a bed to an elder. We do have wheelchair accessible rooms at Tammaativvik here in Iqaluit.
We continuously work with the contractor to make sure that the needs of our patients are met.
It’s unfortunate that that facility is continuously overcapacity.
Like I had mentioned, over 30 percent of the year it’s overcapacity. We do try to schedule specialist visits and that during lower times or when there’s not as many events going on in the community, but it’s a continual struggle.
I do know the contractor, like I mentioned earlier, has shown some interest in providing an expansion to the facility. I look forward to discussions ongoing with the contractor to continue to improve the service delivery.
I had asked this question earlier since our elders should be treated as a priority and given proper bedding, along with the physically disabled.
We know the facility is full most of the time, but priority should still be given to elders because they need to be comfortable more than anyone else, along with the physically disabled.
That is what I was trying to ask about, that the elders and physically disabled clients be given priority.
Obviously all of our patients or the level of care that we’re providing is important, but specifically to elders.
I know if I was staying in a boarding home and there was an elder that needed a bed, I would gladly give mine up, but I can t speak for other people that already have a bed in the facility.
The other option going forward to do that would be to remove somebody from a bed and give it to an elder, and then you run into the argument of who has more medical need than somebody else out of mobility.
It’s not an easily overcome challenge.
I would be the first to admit that, but we are working with the contractor to hopefully mitigate some of those occurrences.
I don’t think it’s proper that an elder is sleeping on a floor on a blanket either. We’re going to continue to work with the contracting agency to work through some of these challenges. It’s not going to be an overnight process.
Mr. Keyootak (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the minister for responding to my question. I will be expecting some resolutions to this issue.
Moving on to another question, although this was posed, I do want to get more clarification on it.
This is in regard to patient relations. Some people don’t know anything about that process in our community.
Is this patient relations office available at the same phone number you gave to us last fall regarding requests for escorts?
Is that the same phone number we have for the patient relations office where anyone, a medical client, their spouse, husband, wife, or relative can call if they have any complaints? If a patient does not believe they are receiving the level of care, is that the same number we call?
Just for the record, I’ll read it out, but I will communicate to your offices direct.
I’ll forward this information on formally as well. It is 1-855-483-3003 by phone or email at patientrelations@gov.nu.ca.
Thank you for clarifying that matter to me.
One of my constituents in the other community has been quite concerned about medical clients being sent out and receiving inadequate care.
I felt much empathy for this concerned individual.
Her spouse had gone to the nursing station many times and he was sick for a very long time. He was just given Tylenol.
Every time he went to the health centre, they would just provide Tylenol to this individual, even though he was complaining about constant pain in his abdomen.
The couple believed he had a serious illness that needed better treatment and kept on insisting that he be sent out.
He was finally sent out and after the doctors assessed him, he was diagnosed with hemorrhaging that had occurred for a long time and he passed away soon after.
The wife was telling me about this case of inadequate care.
There are patients in the same community who have not been receiving the same level of care that they should be receiving.
Often when patients go to the health centre, they are just given Tylenol when they complain about pain in their abdomen.
More than one individual has passed away because of this.
Can concerned individuals call the patient relations number to ask for more than just a prescription for Tylenol?
People know their own physical bodies, they know their pain, and they know when it’s not just a stomach ache.
Sometimes patients do not receive the level of care that they should be receiving in the other community that I represent when they go to the health centre.
I believe that you need to look into this further to ensure that patients are receiving the level of care that they should be receiving.
I anticipate some forward benefits, I guess if I can put it that way, in the care.
The cultural competency training that staff are going to be undergoing starting in April will help alleviate some of the challenges that the member talks about.
In addition to that, we’re in the process of reminding staff Tylenol protocol across the territory.
It’s too common of a message, I think, we have all heard.
When you’re trying to communicate what your body is feeling to a health care professional, there seems to be some gaps that we’re hoping the cultural competency training will help offset.
In addition to that, orientation for nurses as they come on board, we’re looking at making some very serious improvements in that regard so that people know where they’re working.
I say that lightly, but it’s very serious.
People that come to Nunavut to work need to know where they are and the people that they’re serving and that’s the residents of Nunavut, just like we’re all here to serve.
The last name on the list, Mr. Shooyook.
To the Minister of Health, my constituents are quite concerned about the level of service with the optometrists, dentists, and doctors that come into our community annually to provide services.
There have been particular concerns in regard to dental services.
When individuals make an appointment, some patients find that the dentist leaves before finishing the dental care that is required.
The dentist is scheduled to stay for just a few days in Arctic Bay, for example, regardless of whether everyone with an appointment is seen. The dentist is told that it is okay if they leave even before they finish seeing all of the patients.
What kind of policy do you have when the dental professionals leave the community without seeing all the patients?
Why is it that way?
Can you clarify that matter for me?
Specifically with the dental contract that we have, there are an established number of days that they have to be in the community.
If I could just maybe get the member to clarify which community or if all the communities that he represents are experiencing the same thing, I could look into the specifics on the site visits.
One of the things that we want to make sure that we’re adhering to is the contract basis for one, but also to examine waiting lists and to explore opportunities, if need be, to expand the amount of time that the specialists are visiting for.
I hope that answers the member’s question; if he can clarify a specific community or if all communities feel the same.
I’m talking about the community of Arctic Bay that I represent, not my entire constituency.
Moving on to another question, the waiting list is quite long and there are many people on the waiting list to see an optometrist because it takes a very long time for them to come to the community. My constituents are not very pleased about it.
Although we need to be seen and provided service frequently, are the optometrist services in the same situation as the dental services?
Yes, for any specialist services, there are an established number of days. Again, just as an example for dental in Arctic Bay, they’re 68 days per year, so you’re talking 13 weeks of the year that there are supposed to be dentists in town and I mean full weeks, a five-day week.
That being said, when you’re talking about an optometrist or other specialists, when they come in, they’re supposed to be there for a certain amount of days per year.
If there is a backlog in a waiting list in particular like optometry or dental, I can have my officials look into it to see if there’s a way we could get the dentist or optometrist to stay in town longer and we could explore that.
I also thank the minister for clarifying that for me.
Yes, there definitely has to be an improvement because there’s no doubt the specialists leave without finishing their tasks.
We are thankful for medical treatment, but sometimes we have problems when we go to the health centre.
I’ll use myself as an example where this fall I decided to go the hospital twice because of stomach pain. I took advantage of being in town where there is no shortage of doctors.
I was provided with a good interpreter and the doctor asked me where I was hurting.
I told him it was in that area around my chest.
He then poked me around the abdomen area and that’s all he did.
He said that I was done.
He didn’t even use a stethoscope or any kind of instrument to check my illness. Sometimes that’s the level of service that is provided to us.
In another incident, last year I went to see an optometrist as I needed a new pair of glasses.
They told me that I had to go to Ottawa and that I would be getting reading glasses.
To date when I’m reading for a long time, I get blurry eyesight.
I have been waiting two years for those pair of glasses, even though I should have been given glasses not long after.
That’s basically what happens. It sometimes feels like we are forgotten in the process.
I’ll have the department look into the specifics of why it’s taking so long in this instance.
One of the things that I just slipped my deputy minister a note as well is just in discussions on different specialists’ waiting lists. I’m going to request some information from the department that we can review and look at a more coordinated approach, I guess if you want to call it that, to see if there’s something that’s ongoing in the same specialism, we can review our visits.
Second round of questioning, Ms. Angnakak.
I just remembered something. Mr. Shooyook reminded me of something.
Recently when I went to see the specialist and then I needed some medication, they had actually run out of that medication here because everybody was coming in to see that same specialist and it’s the same kind of medication.
I had to wait over a week and so I asked, “How can we make this better? What needs to be done so that you don’t run out?”
Both pharmacies had run out of the medication and they said that if the hospital would tell them when the specialist is coming, they would ensure to get more of those typical types of pills so that they wouldn’t run out. They said that there was no communication between the hospital when the specialists were arriving and with the pharmacies.
It’s not a question; I’m just saying that perhaps it’s something that could very well be worked out just so that we don’t have to wait a couple weeks for our medication. That’s all.
Chairman: It’s just a comment.
Mr. Joanasie (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for recognizing me once again.
I wanted to touch up on addictions.
I don’t know if the Department of Health knows which drug most people are addicted to in Nunavut.
Do you keep statistics on that?
I’m sure our chief medical officer keeps track of instances and exposure to pharmaceuticals and non-pharmaceuticals that are abused.
I don’t have those stats in front of me.
I do know that nationwide there is a growing concern in fentanyl as an example.
I believe there was some recent media coverage on cases going to the hospital here in Iqaluit with some unknown drugs that were making people very violent.
We’re hearing more and more of harder drugs coming to the territory.
I just want to really caution people. Sometimes you’re taking something that you don’t really know what all the ingredients are or what the side effects are if they’re prescription pharmaceuticals not being used appropriately.
I don’t have any detailed information on what specifically is more addictive in the territory to not, but I know our chief medical health officer follows very closely the circumstances in our health centres.
If it’s possible, can the minister commit to getting that information for us? As you said, the chief medical officer keeps tabs on those types of statistics.
Can he commit to providing that information to the House?
I’ll see what kinds of statistics are available through the chief medical health officer.
One of the challenges that we do have is not everyone reports what they’re on. Some people don’t even know what they’re on when they present themselves in a health centre setting or a hospital setting.
I just do want to remind or make special note that with the outbreak, if you want to call it that, of fentanyl cases across the country, there are naloxone kits that are available in all health centres and the hospital across the territory.
I will be looking forward to getting that type of information because I want to have an idea of what types of addictive drugs are most common up here.
I’m sure there are different types of drugs that people can get addicted to. Everybody knows that alcohol and cannabis are the most common addictions and I wonder if that would be included in the study.
Yes and whatever statistics are available, I’ll make it a point to share with the committee members.
I also thank the minister. Moving on to another subject regarding medical transportation, there were approximately 28,000 airline tickets booked in 2015-16 and I’m assuming that includes medical escorts.
I’m sure there is information on how many medical patients travelled.
You indicated that there were approximately 1,800 medevacs that were utilized.
I would like to get information on the numbers and the dollar figures that go with that.
Yes and we will work on breaking down the information with regard to patient travel, escort travel, and get those numbers to the committee members.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $292,880,000.
Total Operations and Maintenance, to be Voted. $353,387,000.
Chairman: Do members agree that we have concluded the Department of Health?
Does the minister have closing comments?
It shouldn’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes, but…
…I would like to make some closing comments if the Chairman and committee members will indulge me.
I want to take this time to formally thank all the staff that work behind the scenes.
I was looking at a calendar the other day and I think it’s one day over eight months that I’ve had this portfolio and you can only imagine the learning curve that goes along with that.
I really want to thank not just the staff with me but the staff that are within the department that are helping to educate me, if you want to call it that.
I know we tend to focus a lot on the issues and challenges that we hear about from our constituents, but there are a lot of good news stories coming out of the Department of Health as well.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take this moment to publicly thank all employees from the Department of Health. Whether you’re a receptionist in Kugaaruk or a doctor at the QGH, you’re all part of the health care team that we’re working very hard for Nunavummiut across the territory.
I just want to take this time to thank everyone that works within the Department of Health.
You have a lot of responsibility and I try to live my role as share the credit and take the blame.
If there’s anything that goes wrong, obviously members will bring them to my attention so that we can address them.
I really want to thank the Office of Patient Relations. There’s a lot of work that we put to them and I commend their day-to-day efforts to make sure that Nunavummiut are getting the health care that they deserve.
We will now take a short five-minute break to set up for the next department.
>>Committee recessed at 18:48 and resumed at 18:59
Bill 34 – Appropriation (Operations & Maintenance) Act, 2017-2018 – Education – Consideration in Committee
Chairman: Hello, Inuit. Welcome back.
Hon. Paul Quassa: Yes, please, Mr. Chairman. (interpretation) Thank you.
Hon. Paul Quassa (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With me to my left is (interpretation ends) Deputy Minister Kathy Okpik (interpretation) and to my right is Assistant Deputy Minister John MacDonald.
Also available in the gallery is Heather Moffett, Director of Corporate Services for the Department of Education.
Chairman: Thank you. Welcome to your staff. Please proceed with your opening comments, Minister Quassa.
I’ll try to keep my comments short.
Good evening, Mr. Chairman. I am happy to appear before you and the committee today to discuss the 2017-18 proposed budget for the Department of Education.
I am pleased to be able to inform you about changes to our main estimates and business plan from previous years.
My department has restructured in order to better meet its mandate and to support learners of all ages. You will notice that there are now nine rather than five lines of business. This change is a direct result of this restructuring.
I am excited to be able to summarize some of these important changes to my department, as I believe they will make it easier to understand how the department functions and how money is spent.
I also believe that these changes will have a positive impact on staff and students alike.
Please allow me to summarize some of the highlights:
A new Educator Development Division to focus on providing training and support to school employees;
A Student Achievement Division to coordinate services to students, including supports and assessments;
Within Directorate, expanded capacity for support and coordination with education stakeholders as well as communications with the creation of Partner Support and Communications divisions.
For the 2017-18 fiscal year my department is requesting a total of $206,472,000. This includes $1,007,000 in new funding.
For the 2017-18 fiscal year my department is requesting a total of $850,000 for contract services which will be targeted directly at students requiring supports in schools and will be used for things ranging from assistive devices such as hearing aids to providing specialized services such as diagnostic testing, speech language therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological assessments.
This continues my department’s efforts to expand the services provided to students in order to meet its inclusive education obligations.
It is my intent that students receive more services more often and that they receive follow-up regardless of which region of the territory they study in.
To administer this increase in services and supports to schools and students, my department will be reallocating two existing positions and creating new education support services coordinator positions.
Additionally it will be creating another new position to provide specialist support focusing on providing services to hard-of-hearing/deaf students.
My department is following up on its multi-year commitment to respond to the recommendations of the Office of the Auditor General and the external review, Reaching and Teaching All Students, and aims to develop a stronger inclusive education system for Nunavut’s schools.
The Department of Education is also requesting $833,000 to meet its obligations to make sure the territory’s student-educator ratio complies with the Education Act.
The student-educator ratio is calculated yearly based on actual student enrolments and is used to determine the number of teaching staff for each community.
The funds requested will be used to support the hiring of 10 additional educators in Arctic Bay, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay, Coral Harbour, Iqaluit, and Whale Cove.
My department has been allocated $210,000 to meet the provisions of the Nunavut Teachers Association Collective Agreement, which expires on June 30, 2017.
The increase in teachers’ salaries in the school year 2017-18 is 1 percent.
Mr. Chairman, our education system remains new and continues to develop, but great strides are being made to expand the services and supports available to our students and to ensure that those resources we do have are being used to the maximum effect.
I thank this committee for its continuous support of the department, which is enabling us to carry out our mandate.
With sufficient resources we will together provide the best possible education for our students.
Those are my comments in summary. I am happy to respond to questions.
Mr. Chairman, as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Government Estimates and Operations, I am pleased to make opening comments as we begin deliberations on the proposed 2017-18 budget of the Department of Education.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s 2017-18 operations and maintenance budget is almost $206.5 million, which represents an increase of approximately $1 million from its 2016-17 budget.
The standing committee notes that the department is proposing significant structural realignments between its divisions for 2017-18 and anticipates that these adjustments will bring about some changes to the delivery of education services over the next fiscal year.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Education’s increased investment in inclusive education as well as a new focus on student achievement will hopefully address a number of concerns that have been raised in recent years.
While members appreciate that supports for inclusive education can include such devices as hearing aids or specialized sound systems for classrooms, it is also recognized that specialist services such as diagnostic testing, psychological assessments, and speech language therapy are also much needed.