Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Within the existing policy, escorts are allowed for unilingual people, elders and minors. Medical travel costs are the most significant cost component of our budget. This is one of the areas we've looked at. At the current time, medical travel, including the authorization of escorts, is within the mandate of the boards. To give them this authority has been a recent decision. This allows them the flexibility to recognize local individual interests of the patients they deal with. This is one of the areas we're trying to tighten up on. We are looking at allowing boards the flexibility to make those decisions on how they implement policies to attain some cost savings in this area; and, at the same time, recognizing that there's going to be unique exceptions to the rules that they would have to address on an occasional basis. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Kelvin Ng on Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
In the Legislative Assembly on May 17th, 1996. See this statement in context.
Bill 11: Appropriation Act, 1996-97
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
May 16th, 1996
Page 487
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
See context to find out what was said next.