Madam Speaker, Return to Written Question 5-12(6), asked by Mr. Ng of the Minister of Health and Social Services, concerning the number of physician positions in the health boards and department.

The total number of approved physician positions in the health boards and the Department of Health and Social Services is thirty-five (35).

The employees of the health boards are as follows:

-Eight (8) positions are based in Iqaluit serving the Baffin region (including one regional medical health officer);

-One (1) position is based in Cambridge Bay serving the eastern part of the Kitikmeot region;

-Six (6) positions are based in Inuvik serving most of the Inuvialuit and Gwich'in communities;

-Three (3) positions are located in Fort Smith;

-One (1) position is based in and serves Rae while making visits to Snare Lake;

-One (1) position is based in and serves Fort Simpson while making visits to Wrigley, Nahanni Butte, Trout Lake and Jean Marie River;

-Thirteen (13) physician specialists positions are located in Yellowknife and provide medical specialty services to the western NWT including the Kitikmeot region.

These positions are sometimes filled with locum physicians on service contract arrangements when recruitment is in progress.

The department employs two (2) medical health officers to act as consultants to all health boards except for the Baffin Regional Health Board who employ their own regional medical health officer.

The department maintains one service contract with an Edmonton physician for specialty medical services to provide consulting geriatrician services to the NWT health boards.