Mr. Chairman, because there are studies in place and completed, I would like to refer the question to Ed Norwich, to specify exactly where we are with the health plan and what the intentions are.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Keewatin review is currently under way. At the present time, the community needs assessment or, as the Keewatin board has called it, the community action plans, have been completed in draft form. In fact, we received them just recently. They are also proceeding with the economic evaluation of the placement of a facility in the Keewatin, plus the cost-benefit analysis of the existing health services. The economic evaluation will start in December and is proposed to take seven or eight months to do, after which time, all this information will be pulled together and presented accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Agreed.

---Agreed

This distance health system technology, can someone advise us what that entails, please?

The issue is the telemedicine link between Stanton Yellowknife Hospital and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. The department and the Stanton Yellowknife Hospital will collaborate with the Royal Alec to establish a remote consultative network for audio-visual capabilities between Yellowknife and Edmonton by April 1, 1995. The network link will be evaluated for six months and recommendations for the purchase of technology and to establish a permanent link between the Stanton Hospital and the Royal Alec will be made after the evaluation is complete.

The funds necessary to implement phase I of the project are what you see in the 1995-96 capital budget.

Mahsi. Are there any plans to link the health centres or hospitals in the north with Stanton, similar to what they are doing with the Royal Alec?

Mr. Chairman, what is planned is that there will be additional technology needed to expand the telemedicine services to regional centres and communities. This is supposed to be considered during the evaluation of the remote consulting network. The selection of sites for phase II expansion of the network will be coordinated with a health board; for example, in Inuvik.

Mahsi, the mobile equipment for health centres for $83,000. What is that for?

Mr. Chairman, if you don't mind, Mr. Norwich will answer that question.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This is an ongoing program to replace snowmobiles and ATVs, as Public Works doesn't do that under their program. So, we have maintained the money in the capital budget. It is for those facilities where there aren't large vehicles or where there is a need for small units to get around the communities. We have a planned replacement program on a five to six-year cycle. This represents the ongoing replacement of the needed vehicles. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.