Acting Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Pollard.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Madam Speaker, this issue was looked at and some medevac standards were arrived at. The commitment of the government was that once those standards were arrived at, they would be

discussed with the industry and the industry would have input into a new medevac policy for the Northwest Territories.

The status at the present time is that those guidelines were developed and they are now being discussed with the health boards. The health boards want to have some more input into it. I anticipate that by the end of this year, all that data would have been gathered and put into a report. So early next year, Madam Speaker, the consultation process will begin with the industry itself. I am confident that the Minister of Health will be able to put a report into this House in the winter session. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

It is a major cost concern because a majority of our money in the health care system is being spent on medevacs. I am pleased that the department is proceeding in terms of consultation and involving people who are impacted by the services. What work has been done to involve them in this review?

Thank you. Acting Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, the concerns of the different regions and communities across the Northwest Territories are being channelled through the health boards. It is hoped that in that way we will know what the community and regional concerns are. So that is being done through the health boards, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Supplementary, Mr. Koe.

In the meantime, I will have to assume that it is business as usual and that much of the services and disputes as to the jurisdiction and different areas are just continuing as they were last year.

Acting Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, I think, in going through the process and looking at the medevac standards, et cetera, it has made us all more aware of each other's problems, whether we are a board, patient or nurse practitioner trying to load someone onto an aircraft. We have all learned that there are problems out there. That has been instrumental in solving some of the problems, particularly in communication. Yes, we are still working on the same regime that was there before, except that we are more knowledgable about the

problems. We may be compensating for some of those problems in our own way. Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Koe.

Mahsi, Madam Speaker. In communities that have access to roads, they also provide road medevacs by road vehicles. When we were visiting communities on the Special Committee on Health and Social Services, we saw the condition of some vehicles that were being used for medevac purposes. Is anything going to be done to look at that aspect of provision of medevac services? Are you looking at vehicles and their condition to upgrade them?

Acting Minister of Health and Social Services, Mr. Pollard.

Madam Speaker, the Member is correct. Across the Northwest Territories the condition of vehicles, the kinds of services that are available -- and I talk about paramedics versus other people who are perhaps not as well trained -- varies across the Northwest Territories. Health boards and communities have raised this issue to the department and the department is looking at the situation, not only in the air, but on the road as well. I might say, Madam Speaker, that in communities that would be serviced by aircraft for medevac, there is still the concern of ambulance services within that community. So the department is looking at it, Madam Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you. Item 6, oral questions. The honourable Member for Yellowknife Frame Lake, Mr. Dent.