EdinburghNLP/nunavut-hansard-plusplus huggingface dataset:
It's been approximately two years that we have been a government.
So, from what I read here you still don't have any policies that are developed.
That's how I understand it in English.
So, the question would be why is that we don't have those policies developed yet that are relevant to the needs of the population.
For example, what I'm trying to say here, the first two members who made those statements and listening to the contents of it.
The Inuit who go down for medical treatment, who make appointments with the nurses go down but they are taken care of without using culturally sensitive programs.
But we don't, we find a lot of sadness when we hear things from the people who are medically treated that they have nothing good to say.
There was anxiety and everything else, when this has been going on for too long, some of the patients get anxiety and they don't want to go through the whole process again.
Sometimes even when their appointment is due they have every right as Canadians whether to go meet their appointment or not.
We have been talking about the Canadian freedom of speech and rights and everything else for the last thirty years.
You can believe in any religion that you want.
So that's always in there.
That becomes the foundation on whether to say yes or no and they exercise that when they're feeling anxious about meeting their appointment and they exercise that right and say no.
When you are a patient and when you're making an appointment, it makes you anxious, it's something that you don't want to go through.
Even when we're looking at this and we're looking at the number, the amount of dollars that we're going to use, the people out there, the hospital, the nurses, the boarding homes and the patients who utilize these services and when you look at these it's just paying lip service.
If only that's implemented then we’ll be happy with the types of services that we get then your department and the members will start saying positive things about the experiences that they've had while they're utilizing these services.
The diagnoses of their illness and the time and manner that they're taken care of.
So once all of this is implemented, the friendliness, the proper treatment taking care of people, mentally and physically, and wellness is a holistic approach that is used by Inuit.
Here in the opening comments, that the minister made, it doesn't have anything like that in there.
Maybe because the officials don't know about these things.
It’s not written in here but when we were going to school in university, we know and read and understand what we're going to be saying. (interpretation ends)…its programs and to ensure the effective use of public resources.
(interpretation) But when you look under there, there's nothing else to explain what that means. It's not written in the business plans either, so what we're hoping to see is that, and when these come back, we'll have to find out exactly what it means and how it will affect the patients that utilize these services and again, Mr. Chairman, I'm running out of time.
When you're looking at the estimates, on 10-5, and the other again in 10-5 under the O&M, those are going to be used.
How much of that will be used for wellness for treatment, and portion of that will be used for those types of services and what is going to be used, what portion will be used for administrative services.
I think we use a huge chunk of those dollars for administration.
I think we're going to have to look at that again.
The person, whether they're in Grise Fiord or Pond Inlet, has to utilize those hospitals and the services and we have to place those people as a priority and put paper work as second.
Those are very interesting comments that the members are making.
I'm really happy to see that a lot of money is put forward for health.
It's exciting to see this whole lot of money and other programs that are being delivered for health.
I would like to today, elaborate on social services.
I know throughout the documents, social services, is just a term and for example, I don't see anything that has said anything about child welfare, young offenders, foster homes, aged and handicapped, family violence in this departmental plan, which we need to look at very carefully.
I can only echo what James Arvaluk said.
We're going to need to see more of a break down and also what the budget is for social services.
For example, under the child welfare act, or now the Child and Family Services Act, it's about three years old.
It would be interesting to know how that act is working compared to the other old acts before 1998.
It would be good to see periodic conferences for foster parents, which has been needed for a very long time, so they can know what they are to be working with to feel some sort of support from the department.
This has not been identified in any of the documents that were provided to us.
Under the Young Offenders Act, I know, I'm not sure if the dedicated probation officers that we've hired as a government in some of the communities, I don't know if they automatically become youth workers.
If not, the social worker is the youth worker in the community.
How far along is the federal government with the Young Offenders Act.
Social workers need to know all these things and they need to feel that they are supported.
I would like to elaborate just a little bit on being a probation officer or child welfare worker.
You go into homes to do protection on the child you may have to apprehend.
You might not have to but let's say there's a young offender in that home or in a family and that person is charged.
The same person who is protecting the children is asked to do a court report for the offender.
Those are very difficult and conflicting situations.
The officials need to know and the ministers need to be concerned about that.
I know that the government department of justice and the department of social services, are working together to have probation officers in place.
So that's very good, that's down the road.
I know there are still quite a lot of social workers that are doing this role.
Under the family violence, which is also never mentioned in the opening remarks or throughout the two documents that we have.
There needs to be a lot of work on family violence.
For example, if you could do good family violence work in the community, if you can prevent it, a lot of the money that went to health wouldn’t need to be there because people would not have to be medivaced out from getting beat up.
Victims would not have to be relocated if something could be done at the community level through social services.
That could only happen if the department is fully supporting the program and the workers in the communities.
I also want to mention telehealth, which we all know or the health department knows that the communities in priority need to have telehealth if they're going to be implemented.
One of the communities like Grise Fiord, the plane will not go in there if there are 60 km winds.
So to have something like this, it would work for them but it needs to be put in place to make sure that it's working.
I know one of the projects you want to do is in a bigger community, which probably has better access to health services.
Under the nurses responsibilities in the communities I've talked about this before.
I've mentioned this before.
Now, under the organizational chart that was approved by the cabinet, the nurses who are very busy, who have no more time are given an extra responsibility to provide administration for the social workers.
Some of the communities have nurses who are there only for a short period a time.
But that person has to do the administration for the social workers.
So that needs to be looked at again.
Maybe it could be taken back to the Cabinet and redo the organizational chart.
Having done this work for 14 years in a community I don't know who dreams it up to make it happen that way.
It needs to be looked at and I know speaking like this I know I have support from both nurses and the social workers in the community.
I know it is probably easier in the administration part in the Headquarters level or the regional level.
But it doesn't work so well in the communities.
There is a lot I could say about social services.
I am happy to see that there is a lot of money for health.
I think this department needs to take a look at what it is doing as far as social services.
Because it could prevent problems and improve the well-being or self-reliance for example, linked to suicide issues.
Does the social worker have good support and help in the community.
Some of these things can be looked at before they happen.
Family violence is a big issue and drug and alcohol is a great big one in the communities.
We felt in the budget yesterday from Finance that the liquor sales are increasing.
We could interpret that there is more violence that is happening and there are going to be more people in jail.
We need to take a look at this whole picture of social services.
I think I could go on all day about this but it is good to see some of the start.
Also the issue of a Mental Health Act.
I am not sure where the Mental Health Act is now.
But what used to happen when a person attempted suicide they would send them down to the hospital under the Mental Health Act and a couple days later that person is sent back again without really any good follow up or any plan.
That has to be looked at.
I am also interested in seeing what kind of contract we have with the Clarke Institute psychiatry department in Toronto when we go through the pages.
So I should have a lot more comments.
Mr. Iqaqrialu (interpretation): Thank you, Mr. Chairman. For the department of Health and Social Services who deal with difficult times in life.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to elaborate or comment on the Department of Health and Social Services.
I want to support this department as much as I can because they deal with very difficult issues because we as Inuit get illnesses that cannot always be cured.
This Department of Health and Social Services as I see it has areas where their services could be improved.
Today in Nunavut we are lacking in major hospital facilities whereas we could have surgeons available at all hours.
Our culture never had these.
Every time a person needs to see a specialist or see a doctor they have to go down south.
Although the Nunavut population is not very many people, we still use up a large portion of the budget because our transportation costs are among the highest.
In years past, the patients who have been waiting for tests or diagnosis of their illnesses have lost out on the treatment that could have been crucial to their lives, and you know, we have lost many loved ones because the nurses or the medical field, the lack of doctors are not there to diagnose these illnesses.
Now as the Department of Health and Social Services you are aware there is a severe shortage of nurses and doctors, we would like to see a facility where people can come and get the medical treatment that they need.
That could probably help save their lives.
Some of the funds allocated have been allocated for programs that are health programs that we are supposed to see in the future, but who knows, maybe those programs might not go ahead.
We are trying to make life easier for people of Nunavut and you mentioned that you are looking at building hospitals in the three regions.
If we are going to see hospitals in these three regions then we also want to see budgets for capital items.
Because, this is, that is a perfect way to help the people who will need medical attention and they can get it more immediately within their own territory.
As for dental therapists, we have some dental therapists but we don't have eye or ear specialists.
There are many kinds of illnesses that need specialists but we are lacking those specialists.
Mr. Chairman, I want to reiterate that people of Nunavut should be given the opportunity to train to become doctors or nurses and I would like to see a facility that would help start to train Inuit in becoming doctors and nurses, to become professionals in the medical field.
Mr. Chairman, when we go through a difficult time in life and we suffer trauma or other difficult times, then it is painful to see a loved one who is going through an illness and it is hard when a person, when you see a loved one deteriorate rapidly before your very eyes.
Due to these factors, Mr. Chairman, it is essential also to have mental health provided for in the health programs because when the mind is affected it affects the rest of the body.
So, within Nunavut where we have winters, of course, transportation will always be affected, how can we better plan for the future to ensure that even if there were delays in medical treatment to have it continued immediately as soon as possible.
This should be provided to any individual be it the elders, adults, youth, children.
They are still affected by this traumatic time in their lives.
To see a loved one deteriorate or to know that someone could have been saved or cured before the illness gets out of hand.
It would help a lot of people if people received medical attention almost immediately after they are diagnosed. To see a loved one not get proper medical treatment or proper medical attention, it is very painful to see that we’ll be left behind.
This is the case for all individuals in the whole world not just Nunavummiut.
Everybody uses medical professionals.
Everyone requires medical attention.
They feel the same pain as we do.
They have similar illnesses.
While we are in our lives, we like to accumulate as much money as we can to better prepare for the future.
In this little part of our world we are working towards having better health services in Nunavut.
We will have to ensure that the funding is appropriately distributed and used.
To the Minister of Health and Social Services and his witnesses there, I am not opposing you I am not trying to win against you.
I want to assist you as much as possible to the best of my ability. I am not putting you down.
If we are going to stay divided then we are not going to go anywhere. But if we work closer together. Then we will get somewhere.
In the years past when we fought for Nunavut, we fought so we can improve the situation amongst our people and our culture.
I have interacted with non-Inuit even when I was a young person because I was in the hospital myself.
There was a time when I had to serve as interpreter to the best of my abilities.
I want to thank you Mr. Chairman for giving me this opportunity to make my remarks.
Mr. McLean: My comments are going to brief.
We are on almost on our second anniversary of Nunavut.
I know the minister strives tremendously to recruit health care professionals, especially caregivers, with limited success.
I know there is a shortage of nurses all around the world and social workers are getting harder to attract also.
I am a little perturbed with the lack of success of the social service program and the nursing program that we got started.
I am wondering if we are really trying to accomplish and I say we as a government trying to accomplish and I am pointing my finger at the department, if we are really trying to be successful in training nurses and social workers.
We know it is not going get any better to attract health care professionals from the south.
So the minister has got to re-evaluate the programs that are being offered and who is offering them.
Whether it is Arctic College or the Department of Health.
You have to put more emphasis on trying to get our young people and I said it the other day, that there's over 12 thousand young people in Nunavut in schools that are going to be needing jobs.
So I think it's an education process of trying to get these young people, we have career development officers in most regions and communities.
It's got to be a partnership and I have to reiterate what my colleague Mr. Iqaqrialu said, that we're not here to attack you, we're here to work together to develop Nunavut.
I don't think there's anybody around this room that didn't run for the reason of making Nunavut a better place for all of us to live in because we all live here.
Mr. Minister, you have lived in smaller communities and you know what's happening as much as the rest of us.
Sometimes when we get outside of our community, we realize that we get into the capital we lose our urgency of what's happening back home.
That's why I'm one member that doesn't like to spend a lot time in this community.
Not because I don't like the community, but because I like the community I live in.
The nurses are working at a tremendous pace.
We're burning them out.
If we can only get through to the young people in Nunavut to stay in school, that there's job opportunities there for them, tremendous job opportunities there for them, and beneficial careers in the health profession.
I don't think it's something that we're promoting enough in the schools through our career development officers.
I said that in my opening remarks on the education system.
We're not attracting young people to the teaching profession.
The teaching profession is a very good profession and one that people would probably get some satisfaction maybe at the end of the year when they see one of their students move onto another grade, that they've accomplished something.
I'm sure that, I know people in Nunavut, communities, really want to go out and help.
I know our people there want to help their own when they're working with them even in the health profession and the social workers profession.
I know it's only two years and we've got a few more years left and I know you're trying your best to get people into positions where they're providing the best health care that we can possibly provide.
I think that there has to be an emphasis from this government, not just your department, the Department of Education, Culture, Language, Elders & Youth to put emphasis where it's needed.
I know it's important to go out and start other programs.
Create other opportunities for other people in Nunavut.
But the fact of the matter remains, I think nurses, teachers and social workers are very important to us at this point in our territory.
I'd like to see the government as a whole focus on training nurses and social workers and really make it serious.
When we’re talking about Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and getting elders involved and the social worker aspect, I haven't seen that done yet. I fail to see where we've moved anywhere in that respect.
I know, young people, and you know this as well, young people like to talk to their parents or their grandparents or something like that and that's maybe all we need.
I'm going to leave it go at that but I'm going to emphasize that over the next few years, what are we doing to attract young people into the social work profession, what are we doing to attract young people into the nursing profession and what are we doing to retain them.
I look at a stat here under 4, representative public services under health and social services, 25% Inuit.
Which is probably the lowest in any department.
I know there's a reason for that. I know what the reason is.
There's a tremendous job opportunity for a lot of young Inuit people if we can only get them interested in taking a career in the health profession.
Your department has the second largest budget.
I know in standing committee meetings you says that it's not enough.
We all know it's not enough.
If we had more money, we would probably give it to you.
I for one would give it you.
I'm not the finance minister, and the finance minister has a deficit budget so, we have to do what we have to do with what we have.
The other issue that I want to bring up is tuberculosis.
I grew up in the Maritimes as a wee lad and you grew up in the Maritimes as a wee lad and we know that we had tuberculosis on the east coast.
We knew when you had tuberculosis back then you were taken away and put in a sanatorium.
We all hear about what happened up here and people fear tuberculosis and I think it was one of the, you know I still hear stories in my community from people about tuberculosis and what it did to people.
People were taken away and we never saw them again, you know, people were herded into halls and fed pills and things like that and it’s starting to roar back.
I know you have dedicated a couple of nurses to it and things like that but I think you should instruct your department to go out and test everybody.
I think it's been hit and miss testing right now.
I know in my community there was only a selection of people tested and then they started testing more and more and more.
But I urge you, urge you to test everybody in Nunavut if we have to.
Because it's a sickness that I thought was gone, we all thought it was gone and I know it's popping up more and more.
So I'm urging the minister to be more vigilant on this tuberculosis issue.
That's about all I got for you today.
I will wait until we get into the departmental plan, I have more questions.
I don't have any more names for the ten-minute opening comments and I would like to get to the department.
There's also information in the appendix under A21, some information items and the Five Year Capital Plan just to let the members know.
There's information in the back of the capital estimates.
Health and Social Services, branch summary. Total operations and maintenance, 4 million 200 thousand. We're on that page but we will just leave that page for now and we will get back to it.
So under the capital estimates, we're dealing with the capital estimates at this time.
We were on, we are now on 10-6 under capital estimates for Health and Social Services, branch summary.
Directorate. Total capital, 4 million 200 thousand.
We'll leave that for now and we'll go to directorate on the next page under 10-7.
I just want some clarification on capital.
I'm not picking on any community here I just want to know, replacing health centres, to replace health centres.
When we are replacing health centres and I heard the minister say it in a standing committee meeting, I think, I could be corrected.
When we're building these health centres and replacing them are we going to integrate the social workers and the nurses in the same building so it's sort of like a one-window opportunity there.
Or are we going to return to when we are doing new health centres are going to have the health, the social workers and the nurses split up.
Would the minister clarify that for me and is this reflected in these new health centres.
Nuvaqpunga mamianaq.
In the facilities that we are attempting to bring online we would like to have dedicated space for the Health and Social Services contingent in the community out of that facility.
One-stop shop as you might say for the delivery of services and programs.
Just before we continue with the capital estimates.
Mr. McLean: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, that's good vision.
I think the social workers and the nurses should be in the same building because, like, I think it's a step in the right direction.
In my community, I got the social workers in one building and I got the nurses in the other and I've heard comments that it would be great if they were all in the same building.
So I praise the minister for this initiative in the communities that presently have social workers outside the health centre.
I hope that in future years you consider putting them all together in one building for the benefit of the community.
That's all I have in capital.
Hon. Ed Picco: I have no comments Mr. Chairman.
At this time we are on capital estimates.
Is this for Igloolik on page 10-7, 650 thousand and Pond Inlet 650 thousand and Repulse Bay 700 thousand.
All these designs, maybe I'll skip Repulse Bay for now but the top one 650 thousand each are these designs for future years to replace those centres.
Buildings and works, Baffin Region.
Mr. Chairman the member is correct that's for the study for the previous design of the functional program for that.
I don’t know if they are similar or completely different health centres but the costs are very similar for those two places.
Is there anything that can be done to cut down on design expenses.