Oral questions. Mr. Gargan.
Debates of March 4th, 1992
Topics
Further Return To Question O258-12(2): Number Of Nwt Residents With Aids Virus
Question O258-12(2): Number Of NWT Residents With Aids Virus
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to direct my question to the Minister of Health. The Minister has indicated that under the Canadian Human Rights Code, a person does not have to say or reveal his or her personal health status. We do not have a human rights code here, but I assume we are using the Canadian Human Rights Code with regard to any human rights issues. Right?
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Oral questions. Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
According to the Minister's response, he said that a dentist does not have to tell his patients that he has the HIV virus, and the same would apply to the patient. Right? If the patient has the HIV virus, he does not have to tell the dentist. Is this correct?
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Further Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I believe that in the Northwest Territories, anyone with a communicable disease must report it to the health officials.
Further Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
In the Minister's response, then, a dentist is also identified as a health official.
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford.
Further Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Further Return To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Supplementary, Mr. Gargan.
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Am I also correct in saying that any health official with a communicable disease does not have to tell his patients that he does have a disease?
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Mr. Speaker, the question is a good question, and I would like to answer the honourable Member; however, it does get quite complicated and it borders on a legal question. I would like to take the question as notice so I can come back with a proper answer for the Member.
Supplementary To Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Question O259-12(2): Human Rights Code Re Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Nerysoo
Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Richard Nerysoo Mackenzie Delta
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. If I could ask the honourable Minister of Health if he could also review what other changes are necessary to give some guarantees to patients that doctors and medical officials are, in fact, reporting the same kinds of diseases if they have somehow contracted those diseases.
Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Mr. Whitford
Return To Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Tony Whitford Yellowknife South
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There is one area that I certainly am concerned with and I am going to be looking into. The applications that require a person to identify any communicable diseases they have, at the time of initial application, may be a problem. Often, with HIV, it is not known for many, many years that the individual has it, and perhaps at the time of application there is no knowledge of any type of infection, and because of the incubation period something like that can take a rather lengthy time and only be discovered afterwards; however, the individual making the application in all sincerity has answered the question then. Perhaps there could be some form of legislation that will require a person, upon discovery or identification of a communicable disease such as HIV, to update the application and thereby we will have a better chance of informing the public on such matters.
Return To Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Question O260-12(2): Guarantees To Patients Re Medical Practitioners Reporting Communicable Diseases
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
The Speaker
Oral questions. Mr. Gargan.
Question O261-12(2): Obligation To Reveal Personal Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 263
Samuel Gargan Deh Cho
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to
direct my question to the Minister of Justice with regard to the Canadian Charter of Rights, since we are governed by that because we do not have one ourselves. I would like to ask the Minister whether or not a person has to reveal his personal health status, that it means just that; whether they are a patient or a medical practitioner, they are not obliged to reveal their health status.
Question O261-12(2): Obligation To Reveal Personal Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 264
The Speaker
Minister of Justice, Mr. Patterson.
Question O261-12(2): Obligation To Reveal Personal Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 264
Dennis Patterson Iqaluit
Mr. Speaker, I thought that the Minister of Health had essentially taken that question on notice in order to obtain legal advice, and if I misunderstood the Member's question to him, forgive me, but I will also have to take this question on notice.
Question O261-12(2): Obligation To Reveal Personal Health Status
Item 5: Oral Questions
Page 264
The Speaker
The question has been taken as notice. Oral questions. Mr. Arvaluk.