Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions has an interim report on Health and Hospital Boards in the Northwest Territories. First of all, I have some introductory remarks. The Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions, under the authority given to it by this House, has undertaken a review of issues related to the operation of health and hospital boards established under the Territorial Hospital Insurance Services
Act. Throughout the review process, the committee has been focusing on the following aspects:
- the mandate, composition, organizational structure and function of health and hospital boards across the Northwest Territories;
- initiatives undertaken across the Northwest Territories by health and hospital boards relative to health planning, program development and service delivery;
- pertinent legislation, regulations and policy, particularly as they pertain to the authority of the board and of the Minister;
- the appointments of members to health and hospital boards; models for board structure, composition and function; working relationships between the boards, the Minister and the Department of Health;
- current barriers to the delivery of health care services and programs across the Northwest Territories by health and hospital boards, and action taken by the Government of the Northwest Territories in response to the review of selected regional health boards and the territorial health insurance services boards completed by the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions during the 11th Legislative Assembly and reported in October of 1990, as Committee Report 4-90(2);
- specific matters relating to board organization and operation brought to the attention of the standing committee by representatives by health and hospital boards and by professional associations working in the health care field; and finally,
- assumptions, analysis and recommendations within the Strength at Two Levels document regarding health and hospital board operations.
The Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions held public hearings on the matter of health and hospital boards in Fort Smith on January 22, 1992, and heard from the former Minister, the Honourable Tony Whitford, and his officials as well as representatives of the N.W.T. Health Care Association and the N.W.T. Medical Association. Written submissions were later received from the N.W.T. Registered Nurses' Association and the Keewatin Regional Health Board. On November 22, 1992, the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions met with representatives of the Baffin Regional Health Board, the Inuvik Regional Health Board, the Keewatin Regional Health Board, the H.H. Williams Memorial Hospital Board of Management, and the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital Board of Management.
In addition, the chairperson of the standing committee has held formal consultations this month with the Government Leader in her capacity as acting Minister of Health. The understanding that has emerged from this input has caused Members of the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions to express serious concern over the approach that has been undertaken by the N.W.T. Department of Health in working with the health and hospital boards. Significant and complex problems seem to exist in the working relationships between the department and boards to which the standing committee must devote additional analysis before bringing forth its final report and recommendations.
Furthermore, the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions has recognized that the nature of the problems that exist will likely require very direct involvement at the ministerial level. Unfortunately, however, the health portfolio has been vacant since November 27, 1992. In the spirit of the consensus-style Government of the Northwest Territories, the Members of the standing committee will look forward to working with the new Minister of Health to ensure a full understanding of all relevant issues prior to bringing a comprehensive report forward to the Legislative Assembly.
For those reasons, the Standing Committee on Agencies, Boards and Commissions will provide a final report on its review of health and hospital boards when the third session resumes in February, 1993. At the present time, however, the standing committee did wish to place before the House some interim observations and a comment on a current initiative that has been undertaken within the Department of Health. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Marie-Jewell will continue.