Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There were not too many things that I wanted to talk about regarding this issue at this particular time, but since you recognized me, I thank you very much.
Another concern I came upon with medical patients...I am not saying, Mr. Chairman, that one particular staff has ever been pointed out as having not looked after the patients. There have been no complaints in that area. In general, it is the inability to communicate and sometimes not being picked up at the airport. It is frustrating when the patient is not able to look after himself/herself; not able to communicate with officials at the airport; not able to call for a taxi -- they don't know how to do it, let alone know how to communicate with the dispatcher, in this case.
Another concern that came to my attention -- not too many times, Mr. Chairman -- is that there are times when the Kitikmeot boarding home in Yellowknife is full, it is booked, at the same time Rainbow Valley is booked. I think we should start to plan for expansion in the area of providing accommodations for medical patients.
There are times when Yellowknife receives patients from the Baffin. There are times when Yellowknife receives patients from the Kitikmeot region. I think we should start thinking about expanding or putting additions to either the Kitikmeot boarding home or maybe have Rainbow Valley...I don't pretend to speak for Rainbow Valley, as Rainbow Valley is mainly for the western Arctic people, according to my understanding. The Kitikmeot boarding home was mainly put up to accommodate the Kitikmeot region, but we also appreciate the fact that we are able to accommodate people from the Keewatin. We are able to accommodate people or consolidate people from Baffin at times.
Mr. Chairman, isn't it about time that all the health boards interested -- Keewatin, Baffin, Kitikmeot -- perhaps, meet with the Premier, the Minister entrusted for the Health department, and start to plan to expand the boarding homes for accommodations. The population is growing. We have had this problem of not being able to accommodate medical people for the past few years now.
Mr. Chairman, we are growing, and there will be more patients coming into this area. I hope, Mr. Chairman, that Madam Premier will take this very, very seriously.