Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think my colleagues have already spoken about my concerns. I have had concerns expressed by constituents over the proposed copayment increase that is, and has already been, a problem with a number of people who reside in my area. While I say there is a concern now, there will be even more now with the proposed increase. In the past we've had excellent cooperation from the Department of Health staff who I brought these concerns to. They've always managed to work something out. But, it is not always possible to resolve these issues satisfactorily.
In addition to that, it's quite difficult for individuals to have to always challenge the department when they have to -- through no fault of their own, of course -- travel south for treatment more than once. It's okay if this happens once every so often and affects a person maybe once or twice in their lifetime, but when there are instances, such as broken bones or other major surgery that requires a person to go for additional treatment, it does become quite a burden on the household. It's tough enough to live in the north as it is, and anytime disposable income is used for such things, it is less money for things that people need in the territories.
It appears that from what the Minister has said, that perhaps they have to look at the criteria for eligibility to see if that can be changed; that's encouraging. I would like to encourage the department to do that. I recognize the need for increasing revenues, but health is one thing that I think is an investment. If we can eradicate diseases and illnesses, we would be saving a lot of money. If people, because of cost, neglect themselves, it is going to cost us a lot more money in the long run.
Another thing is, when I read through the budget, I see there are going to be some increases in some of the services that the residents of the north will be receiving through the hospitals that we have here; particularly those that are servicing a good portion of the territories at present. It is encouraging to learn that -- although it's not in the book yet -- the dialysis program will be coming to the Stanton hospital in the very near future. I asked a question about it and was informed that this was going to be possible by the fall. I've received some happy peoples' comments and will pass them on to the department for their initiative in this area.
The increase in services for patients in the north is encouraging. Years ago we had to go south for surgery of every kind. We can now get it done here. I think there's an experiment in a small way of the use of laparoscopic surgery which reduces the amount of trauma a patient would experience in surgery. It is certainly encouraging to see all of these things coming here, such as hip replacement surgery. I think one of the areas still of concern is something that we have heard about lately in the news, although we've known about it for awhile. It is the great concern about the vast numbers of northern people who are smoking and the increase in the amount of cigarette consumption over the past years.
Smoking has always been a pastime of northerners but, for some reason or other, it has increased in the last little while. I think not very long ago Members of this House saw, or heard in the news, statistics that indicate that a tremendous number of Inuit people smoke. I don't mean to just single out Inuit, but that is what the report claimed. I know that there is a substantial increase in the numbers of young people smoking, in spite of the programs we have. I'm just wondering why this is happening. The anti-smoking awareness program held in the past year showed very graphically the effects of the use of tobacco products on humans. Maybe it's not being delivered as much as it used to be or maybe people have become just so desensitized now that they don't really care.
I know on the back of cigarette packs there are black labels that warn people about the dangers of smoking and these are required to be put on the packages. Recently, I saw in some of the novelty stores here black labels that have some very cute little sayings on them which people tape over the warnings on the packages. They make a joke out of it. All of a sudden what was a very serious warning about the use of tobacco products is now taken very lightly. I wonder if maybe our approach and programs to having people reduce smoking are becoming obsolete and aren't seriously being observed by our residents.
It's a great concern to many of us that this happens, especially when you see the increase in young people smoking now. They seem to be getting younger and younger; in spite of the law. They still manage, for some reason or another, to secure tobacco products and use them. Whether it is against the law, they still do it. I think more than making it a law, we need to be able to come up with some ways of making sure that young people don't start smoking because of the adverse affects it is going to have on them, rather than making it a challenge because it is against the law and they have nothing else to do. It has been attributed to some people who I have talked to as being a very slow form of suicide. The effects are not noticeable right now, but the more you smoke, the greater the increase of long-term health problems the person will face.
I guess I would want to see a little bit more of those types of programs continued or revisited, for sure. As I have said, they seem to have lost their impact, if they are still being delivered. They don't seem to have the same impact as they had some time ago. Maybe it is time to revisit this and see what else we can come up with. One other area that is of concern that I wanted to bring to the attention of the department here, while we deal with their budget, is the support that special health treatments require. We have a few people who have had transplants; a very major medical item. They require certain medication that is of a very specialized nature and not only is it specialized, but there is the issue of the quantities that are required. Because it is specialized and of the large amounts, it is very costly. Some of those things are not covered under an insured program. It isn't on the list. If a person has a kidney transplant or a liver or lung transplant -- which are becoming more common -- the amounts of medication required to stave off the rejection effects are quite costly.
If a person does not have a health plan, although they may be gainfully employed or have a certain amount of income in that home, a tremendous financial burden is devastating. I would encourage that we look at those particular types of medical treatments that are unusual. It is one thing if you are going to get some minor thing done because there are quite a number of things like that, such as gall bladder surgery. But if you go in for a transplant, this is major stuff. Something like that is not a great financial burden to the territorial government, at leats in my opinion, because of the few people it affects. It is something worthwhile doing. I would like to encourage the department to look at that and recognize the long-term benefits that will be realized from people who have recovered successfully through our efforts. I probably will have more to say as we move along but, for the time being, I will say we are on the right track. There are many good things happening; probably too many to go over here in any great detail. There is the nursing program that will be established, so we can have more and more people trained in the north to do the jobs that are required to deliver good health to northerners; that is very encouraging. The department is to be commended on that initiative and other initiatives undertaken.
I haven't touched on Social Services because a lot has been covered. I think the social workers are doing a tremendous job in delivering programs to the people. People have gone through a traumatic time over the past three or four years with the reorganization of the department. It has shown the fortitude that they have, that they have been able to do their jobs and still go through the trauma of amalgamation, which we are well aware has been traumatic. It has been a long process. They are working to some fruition.
Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to make those few comments to the Minister. I don't think there is anything that requires an answer at this point. There is a list of drugs that are required for transplant patients -- I am not sure what the name of the program is -- that recognizes illnesses or treatments that require a lot of cost to individuals and more assistance can be given to the people who are undergoing that kind of treatment. I only hope that the department will take a good look at that, as they have had due to requests of people who use southern facilities for dialysis purposes. It is encouraging to know that we will have that in the north by the fall and it will reduce our costs to southern hospitals and increase the use of our own facilities here. With that, Mr. Chairman, I will leave it there. I say congratulations to the department and the staff who have put so much into the north over the past year, since we have dealt with this matter. Thank you.