Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Health and Social Services, Madam Premier. It concerns the Stanton territorial hospital which was built some years ago to provide state-of-the-art medical services to residents of the Northwest Territories.
In the past, we've had occasions when we didn't have all the services available here in the Northwest Territories that patients need. And, as a consequence, they would have to go to the nearest centre, such as Edmonton, for specialized treatment until such time as the demand was sufficient here in the north to establish that treatment in the territories.
The hospital, of course, is well-used, but it is currently not equipped to handle some ailments that are becoming more prevalent in the territories. One of those illnesses is kidney malfunction. There seem to be a growing number of individuals suffering from kidney problems. I would like to ask the Minister if she could advise me if there are any plans to purchase state of the art equipment for the residents of the territories suffering from kidney malfunction.