EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
…I am pleased to present the departments budget today and indeed because being first opportunity as the Minister of Health that actually address the members in the committee in the whole actually have an opportunity to discuss some of the areas and the ways and the means and indeed my philosophical view on how we should take this department of health over the next several years.
Mr. McLean has indeed brought some of good points, I had an opportunity to discuss with the members and indeed with Mr. McLean and some of the issues that he had brought forward.
First of all I’ll just touch base on some of them, Mr. Chairperson the member have talked about cancer and indeed we all know the concerns with cancer scenes, the cancer on the rise or increase in Nunavut.
Indeed as a jurisdiction in Canada, we still have to lowest rates of cancer incidents in the population in Canada as a whole.
I know for example that the concern has been brought forward, before and in the past the breast screen for cancer and in need mammography unit in Nunavut.
And indeed here in Nunavut, the increase in cervical cancer has indeed on the rise, so that’s something we want to look at.
Under chronic care side of things and indeed again Mr. McLean is correct that something we have to incorporate, not only at the regional level but in the smaller communities.
On IQ, were using IQ right now for example in to the adoption services and indeed I am a proponent of looking at ways of using a traditional Inuit knowledge, in suicide prevention and indeed mental health counselling.
The prescription drug situation worth 3 times national average I’m not aware of those figures, that’s something the department will have to look into.
For example here in Iqaluit were a bit or have the opportunity or the advantage of having a drug store or pharmacy available over the counter sales, which is not the case in some of other communities in Nunavut, so we’ll have to look at that.
With that Mr. Chairperson again I’m available with my departmental staff of questions or comments on the Department of Health.
Chairperson: Thank you Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. McLean any questions or comments.
Regarding the comments that the Minister maybe have some information to the Members.
I wonder if the Minister briefly update or I guess just speak to the issue of, we’ve talk of this issue for number of weeks now but in reference to recruiting nurses , your retention of nurses and of course making sure that we get the most qualified people that we can get.
And with the retention tying in - what the status is on housing accommodations for these individuals as relates to benefits in regional housing cost.
But we know that an issue that’s been around for some time.
I realize the minister hasn’t had a lot of time to deal with this but I know that we spent time with the last 4 years with the Minister that his well aware it’s been an issue and has cost great concern in mostly small communities.
I wonder if the minister can speak to this in general.
Chairperson: (interpretation): Thank you Mr. O’Brien.
Minister of Health and Social services or any of your officials can respond to the question.
Mr. Chairperson, Mr. O’Brien brings up a couple of very important and indeed controversial areas over that last several years, and indeed in this house over the last couple of weeks and how to touch base on them and hopefully provide an update.
I’ve only been in the department of health as minister as everyone knows as April 1st officially and the first things that I requested to the department was to get a current and applicable recruitment and retention program in place with the department of health for Nunavut.
As we’ve discussed in this House before the shortage of medical professionals is not a unique to Nunavut.
Indeed it’s pandemic in Canada, indeed in North America, we see cases of other jurisdiction in Canada hiring nurses in Ontario and hiring out nurses in British Columbia indeed the States, United States come into Canada to hire nurses.
As I’ve mention before 2 weeks ago, 3 weeks ago Mike Harris and the Premier of Ontario announced the additional 250 million re-basing of the health budget in Ontario to hiring of 10 thousand nurses, so were competing against other jurisdictions for a small highly qualified and trained medical professionals.
As a department we are working on our recruitment and retention program for our nursing staff and I want to make it clear in this formal today that we are acutely aware of the dedication and the long hours of worked being put in by our nurses especially in the smaller centres where there they only have staff on the ground.
I want take this opportunity to thank them for their time and effort.
I, as a minister, will do what I can with in the department, with in the existing budgets, in co-operation with Mr. Ng , Minister of Finance to help the in some ways of recruiting and retaining those staff members.
So I don’t have the plan in from of me right now, something that were working on and hopefully we’ll be able to bring it forward in the fall to Standing Committee on Health of this house and discuss it with at that time and make some announcement.
On the housing policy over the last couple of days in this house Mr. Ng has spoken to the housing policy that is in the place and indeed we want to look at a policy that their for all staff and look at the rates and so on.
We realize that after the government of Northwest Territory sold off all staff house units in the communities, a lot of private entrepreneurs have taken control of those houses indeed some the rents being charged right now reflect that.
I think everyone is confident of that reality and one of the things we want to try to do is to look at how we can, make the housing situation for medical professionals in my department and also for the government employees at large, better and more conducive for those working with the government of Nunavut .
I guess I should also add that when I was in Igloolik we do have some NCC units on the ground maybe we can access for some of these medical professionals in the short term but we do need to come up with the comprehensive program which would be included in the recruitment and retention program for the medical professionals at the local level.
Chairperson: Thank you Minister for Health and Social Services.
Do you want to add something here Mr. O’Brien.
Mr. O’Brien: Thank you Chairperson.
Mr. Chairperson from the Ministers’ comments I assume that’ll be the following session until we receive some kind of concrete plan and directions to how the government is going to deal with these issues.
I’ll continue on with some other comments in reference to services that in the past for example in Keewatin some services that attempt to privatize some services.
Unfortunately or fortunately it didn’t fly out that it’s fair problems.
I guess I’m concerned at this point whether the minister and his department giving any consideration to looking at this again given the past history.
Minister of health and social services response.
Mr. Chairperson as the Minister of Health, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have no ambition , or drive or any other mandate, move to look at the privatization of our health care system in Nunavut.
I am completely and personally, philosophically against privatisation health care.
Chairperson: Thank you Mr. Picco. Mr. O’Brien I believe you have another comment.
Mr. O’Brien: Mr. Chairperson. I’m please to hear the Minister say that, I’m sure all the people at least hear that I, live more than please to hear the comments.
My last comments is in reference to, if the minister can tell the members at this point if he has some information available about the services now being provided by the Churchill hospital or the arrangement between the Health Science Centre and the Keewatin Health Board and I'm curious as to where this stands to date.
Response Mr. Minister of Health.
You want to respond?
Mr. Chairman I think the members from the Keewatin Region will be pleased to know that indeed that we have just recently signed off with the NMU, The Northern Medical Unit, of the Province of Manitoba, another five year arrangement to continue to support the logistical and administrative support for health care in the Keewatin Region.
Chairperson (interpretation): O'Brien.
Mr. O'Brien: Thank you Mr. Chairman and Thank you Mr. Picco.
That's good news for the people in Keewatin and I'm sure they'll sleep a lot easier knowing that services are in place for the next five years.
I believe that this is just a comment.
I believe we ran out of names.
Mr. Irqittuq proceed.
Mr. Chairman the issue here that we have been dealing with and in working with the Minister the last two weeks to date in speaking with the health officials and also with the Minister having spoken with him to date and just earlier today.
The question to the Minister respect to the health boards.
How much mandate or powers have been given to the boards from the ministers.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Minister of Health.
If you wish to respond or any of your officials.
I know what the member is getting at. Over the several days as Minister of Health and when you're trying to answer questions on operational issues, the operational issues like control of the staffing of local at the regional, at the community level, general operating programs and services are carried out by the three regional Health and Social Services Boards.
So for example, when an operational issue comes up are you know do we need a social worker in X community or so on.
As the Minister of Health I have to go then to the Health Board, and say was the status or what is the situation in this community and then let the Health Board staff up in positions there.
Those types of operational issues are what the Health Boards are doing.
So sometimes it looks like the power does not rest with the Minister.
I know the member is probably referring to the situation that we discussed this morning with the doctor for Igloolik.
The Minister of Health has delegated the operational issues of the day for health to our three regional health boards and the department oversees the policy and direction and something that was done by the board for example that circumvented policy then we would not allow it and step in.
I hope that helps explain the question or the comment of the member.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Minister of Health.
I believe you have a supplementary question.
Mr. Chairman the Department of Health or the Boards probably have procedures or powers in place because I've heard earlier that this the move initially made was not approved by way of motion.
Now, I'd just like to ask are their own officials allowed to make actions without consulting their boards?
Any response from the Minister or whatever officials.
Mr. Chairman I not aware if the Board of Health has voted on this particular incident or not indeed boards have their own mandate there is  boards governs as in place for each individual board.
That's the board's decision.
The board has circumvented it's own policies.
So I wouldn't feel comfortable commenting on if the board circumvented their own policy have they voted on a policy .
Indeed if the staff of the Health Board made any independent decisions arbitrarily without going to the board.
I'm not aware of that and wouldn't be proper for me to comment on it.
What I can say is its similar to the Education Board.
If you have a question in staffing in school and everything then we have to look at the different education boards and say okay what's the status in the schools are.
But again the board operate and the boards govern they have their own policies and procedures in place and I'm not aware of the board health board is voted on this particular one.
Mr. Irqittuq, any additional questions?
If this has not been approved by the board, does the Minister of power to intervene and if the board had not agreed to the issue and if the action was only taken by their own officials in that situation would you have the authority to accept or reject the decision made?
Minister of Health, do you wish to respond.
Mr. Chairman, it's difficult for me to answer hypothetically.
You know if this has been done.
The power lies within the minister.
If the board has circumvented a piece of legislation an act, if they had done something that compromises the health of individuals then indeed the minister has to power to overturn that decision.
In this case have they made a decision at the board level .
I don't know, because I don't know again if the decision of the board is has made.
I haven't seen the motions I haven't seen copies of their minutes.
That's something I've asked the department to we're looking into right now to find out how exactly how the decision was made, who made it, and so on.
But I can say to you Mr. Chairman, as I said yesterday in this house and as I said again this morning that there is a public expectation there are right now in the community of Igloolik indeed they're making a room ready for doctor to go there.
So that's something that I take seriously as a minister and I am looking into it.
I believe we are quite clear with the question made by Mr. Irqittuq but you don't really seem to respond fully.
Maybe we'll be provided with a response at a later time but I believe his question was to do with what authority you may have in convening with the health boards.
Mr. Tootoo you have a question?
Mr. Tootoo: Thank you Mr. Chairman. I almost stood up.
Mr. Chairman I'd like to ask the Minister , if , I know in my reply to the budget address, I touched on numerous social issues in concerns facing the people of Nunavut among them things like homelessness, drug and alcohol programs and stuff like that .
I'm wondering Mr. Chairman if the minister and staff have any preliminary plans at this stage on how to readdress those issues?
Mr. Minister of Health or officials.
Do you have a response.
Mr. Chairman as a department like most departments we've only actually in place with the budget since April 1st, six weeks ago.
As a minister, I officially took over six weeks ago.
It's been I can say very strong and steep learning curve.
On the area of homelessness we do have one homeless shelter here in Iqaluit that has had budget problems in the past several weeks and indeed some concern that the shelter would close.
As a department we are aware of that.
I believe my Assistant Deputy Minister is working very closely with the homeless shelter committee to make sure that indeed the problem is alleviated and the homeless shelter has submitted a budget.
So in general we are trying to address the needs like to take care of the homeless people but as crowding and so on, that we've talked about before and the shortage of houses is a crisis, that were in the housing has caused some major problems.
Not just in Iqaluit and other communities we're in fact seeing more homelessness. As a department as a interdepartmental responsibility not just Department of Health and Social Services, but the Housing Corporation, Economic Development, the government as a whole has to address this issue.
As a department we are trying to be proactive.
We're working with the homeless shelter staff for example here to indeed ensure that on Friday they don't have to close their doors and I did speak this morning to one of the senior people at the homeless shelter, he tells me that they are still experiencing financial difficulties.
So hopefully we can rectify that in a week.
That's an answer to the member's question.
Mr. Tootoo, I believe you have a supplementary.
Thank you Mr. Minister for going ahead and answering my next question.
I guess that is an issue and I guess what I'm hearing I just want to confirm what I'm hearing from you Minister, Mr. Chairman is that he will make a commitment to ensure that the homeless shelter here in Iqaluit is not forced to close due to a lack of funding next week and that will work towards having some long term commitment to ensure that the centre will be able to continue to stay open.
Minister of Health.
I believe you want to respond.
Mr. Chairman, the negotiations are underway right now with the homeless shelter society and indeed as Mr. Tootoo knows my Assistant Deputy Minister Mrs. Cooper has been working very closely with that group.
It's very difficult for me to give a commitment that the centre will receive all that funding that they've requested.
I understand there is a shortfall of about twenty four thousand dollars right now from what they've requested.
That is, as a department we'll be in contact if we're not already so , with the other departments in this government to look at other sources and again bring in non government organizations, NGO's like NTI and other partners to look at how we can aid and hopefully facilitate to keeping this shelter open indeed Mr. Chairman I was involved for the last year and half with that shelter and the last three and a half years for the MLA for Iqaluit.
I'm acutely aware of the need and I will do whatever I can as the Minister of Health to make sure that those people are not put in any jeopardy for the closure of the facility.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Tootoo your last question.
I'm relieved to hear those comments from the minister as I'm sure all the staff and members of the homeless shelter committee are glad to hear those comments.
My next question Mr. Chairman, is relating to the functional review of the programs through the hospital that's been mentioned by the Minister of Finance and also by the Minister of Health.
I'm wondering Mr. Chairman, if the minister could provide us with update on this review and also what it actually is that's being reviewed.
For your information, we're going to keep you to our ten minute limit.
Response from the Minister of Health and Social Services.
Mr. Chairman, on the role and the functional program review of the program underway by the Department of Health, what happens is in thirty days of the notification from the FMB, Financial Management Board, we look at the role of functional program designed that's in place and what's happened here is that previously, this government coming into power in being on April 1st the health boards and all three health boards for that matter have basically accomplished program functional design for their facilities.
Now we are reviewing it as a government to see if they're applicable to see if they should be added or taken away or whatever.
So I would say to the member of that hopefully over the thirty days that will be completed and they get the money for the architectural drawings should come forward and take it from there to get to the point where we culminate into a new facility.
Chairperson (interpretation): Thank you Minister of Health and Social Services.
I will go back to you after we have given someone else an opportunity to make a few comments.
Mr. Tootoo. I'll give Mr. Kattuk and opportunity.
We'll try and keep up to our ten minute limit.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): Mr. Chairman, I have a question in regards to my constituency.
The medical patients from Sanikiluaq have to get on government charters in order to go to Churchill and to Winnipeg for medical treatment.
I would like to know if your department is concerned about our community residents going to Manitoba for medical services.
Minister of Health and Social Services.
If you would like to respond please.
Mr. Chairman, I don't think we're concerned that you're going to Winnipeg or Manitoba because I mean the facilities there are very good.
Second to none.
Our concern would be is indeed the people of Sanikiluaq sometimes they had been going into the Baffin Region facility, other times they had been going to the facility in Manitoba and right now in the community of Sanikiluaq is a part of the Keewatin Region for health care services.
So we are concerned , I guess what we're trying to do as a department is review the operational issues with Sanikiluaq to make sure that we put in place the best type of program and service for the people of Sanikiluaq.
Make sure that their health care needs are second to none.
They should not be treated any different because they're Sanikiluaq and other residents of Nunavut.
So we're looking as a department to find out what types of solutions we could put in place to alleviate some of these concerns that we've heard from Sanikiluaq as a department.
Mr. Kattuk go ahead.
Mr. Kattuk (interpretation): I don't know if I understood you clearly.
My question is the governments charter Keewatin airlines and my question is are you concerned about the cost of chartering Keewatin air services just from Sanikiluaq to the Keewatin or to Manitoba.
Hon. Ed Picco (interpretation): …I'm really the boss. Mr. Chairman.
Chairperson (interpretation): Say it again.
Hon. Ed Picco: Thank you Mr. Chairman, I understood the question.
I guess the problem as to what we're trying to do is look at the cost.
I am concerned at the cost of the charters.
For example, if we facilitated the usage of Montreal instead of being chartered to Manitoba would it be easier logistically would it be easier and cost us less money to go to Montreal or Ottawa.
That's something we have to review.
Right now as we know air travel is very expensive and we are looking at ways in our budget to make sure that we deliver proper health care to all residents but also within the dollar values that we can afford as a department.
So maybe if the member has some recommendations like for delivery of services there which sites should we use should it be the Manitoba area, should it be Montreal or Ottawa, I think as a department we look at this types of issues.
In regards to the medical travel of Sanikiluaq and if were going to do a review or if we're going to be making any changes to the medical patients of destination then I would suggest that we keep the people of Sanikiluaq up-to-date .
Find out from the people of Sanikiluaq which location they would prefer because there has to be a close consultation of the people of Sanikiluaq if we're going to be making any changes.
Mr. Chairman, I can commit to the member that before any changes will be put in place that indeed the department would consult with the people of Sanikiluaq.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that as a new department and as a new minister I want to have the opportunity over the next several months to review all aspects of the Department of Health and that includes the delivery services.
For example, if the patients of Sanikiluaq are best served by going through Manitoba, that's logistically, administratively, and I guess financially better for the Nunavut Government or not.
Those types of issues we want to be able to review those before any decisions taken.
There would be consultation with Sanikiluaq find out exactly what the needs of Sanikiluaq and the residents are.
Mr. Puqiqnak (interpretation): Thank you Mr. Chairman. First of all the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Baker Lake I was going to be asking this question to the department and I'm very glad that our member from Baker Lake was able to bring it up and I would like to make a supplementary comment.
In the region of Kitikmeot and Keewatin, and Baffin we have a need for it takes a long time for the patients to get diagnosed early.
Any chronic disease.
In Gjoa Haven there was one person who was sent out because of respiratory problems, they did an x-ray and he was diagnosed with advanced cancer and that's not the only case.
I strongly urge the Health and Social Services to do a better job in taking care of the patients possibly by x-raying more of the patients and doing more examinations on their patients .
Mr. Chairman I would like to bring up one issue particularly about children in the Gjoa Haven.
Little children are put to sleep when they're going to be getting their teeth extracted in Yellowknife or Hay River.
When we set up the Nunavut Government will still send dental patients outside of the Nunavut area or are we going to be getting proper dentists services set up in the region.