Thank you, Mr. Chairman. With regard to the planning for hospitals, indeed, the Baffin hospital plan is progressing very well. It's on schedule and looks like they've taken into consideration some of the other components of health care in a more holistic way in providing a hospital facility. We're pleased that it seems to be progressing very well.
Regarding the long-sought-after health facility for the Keewatin, they've done a health needs studies and right now they're doing an economic analysis of an approach to put a facility there. In the Inuvik region, because some of the Sahtu residents are accessing Yellowknife for medical services, they're well on the way to realigning according to the needs assessment that they've been working on now for some years. What they're doing presently because of the community-based rationalization of what would be required in the community and region, are community profiles so they can rationalize the type of facility that would go into Inuvik. They're a bit behind because they've had to refocus because of the decision to allow Sahtu residents to come to Yellowknife.
In terms of the other hospital boards, we still have a lot of work to do to rationalize the Hay River, Fort Simpson and Fort Smith hospitals as they relate to Stanton. I hope we'll be able to carry on much of that consultation this summer. There have been a number of studies done and a series of recommendations have emerged on how each can function within the southern Mackenzie catchment area. It seems that everyone is taking their needs study and their facility planning very seriously and are moving along quite well.
In terms of the Custom Adoption Recognition Act, I had hoped as well that we would be able to move much more quickly on that because it has been a long-outstanding issue. And I think both the Member and myself have advocated that something should be done about that for a long, long time. However, it seems that the actual implementation of the regulations and the selection of people probably couldn't be done until September. In the meantime, the plan is to seek out one individual who will do some of the backlog that we have now, so that there won't be some activity in trying to address those outstanding issue on those individuals that we know are there. So rather than saying that we cannot do anything until September, we will almost immediately get one person to coordinate the activity and get the backlog and the individuals that we know about now updated and put in the process. So we will be doing something.
In terms of the training for professional nurses, I am very much aware that often we can start the pilot project in one region. But I see it that this program will have to move to the Baffin to try to catch the eastern Arctic catchment area. This is a program that started off here in Yellowknife and we will continue with it, but that is not in absence of planning for one in the eastern Arctic because I think it is needed. There are a lot of opportunities there for Inuit to take part in the professional nursing area. I know that we have a lot of changeovers and this will provide some stability if we can train our people to take over some of the responsibility in the nursing profession. What we have in Yellowknife has not been done with the intention of doing something for Baffin, because I believe that it is very necessary.
With regard to the progress on distance technology, I know that the Department of Education is working quite extensively on trying to see how they could use distance technology. The Department of Health is working with NorthwesTel right now with regard to telemedicine and how that can be made available and transmitted.
The other area, on Metis benefits, there is some work that has to be done to determine the type of benefits that we can cover within the parameters of the $1 million that has been put in the budget for that. We won't be able to cover everything, so we will have to work with the Metis Nation and look at their eligibility list. As well, they will have to meet the same criteria, where if they have a medical plan, they have to access that first, like everyone else. This is one of the reasons why they felt that the cost wouldn't be as great, because a majority of Metis people who are working are either in government or have a medical plan as it relates to the work they have.
I will let Mr. Ken Lovely deal with the orthodontist issue and give you an update on that. I am pleased to say that our relationship with the health boards has improved extremely well. And in terms of the agreements, we have five finalized agreements and all we are waiting for is some of the health boards because they just haven't had a meeting to finally consider it. But I am very pleased with the really positive working relationship that we have established with them in the last year, and I think that has gone a long way. I think the compliment has to go towards the deputy minister of Health and Social Services. So on that final issue of orthodontists, Mr. Lovely could probably give you an update on that while I dig out my cough medicine here.