Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my general comments are centred around concerns expressed by some of my elders with regard to the type of treatment they receive when they are in the health centres in the communities and when the doctors visit; possibly once a month.

Mr. Chairman, elders expressed concern that they don't feel that the quality of doctors is quite what it should be. They feel that the doctors are way too young to be very experienced in the field. They also feel that they are nothing more than a piece of meat that is being examined. They think that there is no personal relationship between the doctor and the patient. A lot of it is because they feel the doctors change so often that they never really get to know the patient. It has been stated by elders that when the doctors do come to examine them, they don't even look at the patient; they actually only look at the report from the previous doctors. The patients get the impression that if the last doctor recommended a certain type of pill and it didn't

work, then this guy is going to try a different one again. That way, they're really nothing more than guinea pigs.

They don't know how to have their concerns brought forward to the proper people, without actually insulting the doctors or the system. They don't wish to insult the doctors and they don't wish to insult the system, but they feel that there should be some way that this could be resolved.

In one particular case where this concern was brought to the attention of the authorities, these members were kind of put down by the health centre for having gone over their heads. I don't think this is the proper way to address the problem, and I hope the Minister will take this into consideration.

I also have concerns with regard to the ability of this government to supply proper doctors. I understand that it has been suggested in the past that doctors should be stationed in the larger communities. It has been suggested that nurses do not want to take the responsibility themselves when ruling on a case; therefore, they simply send them on to the head hospitals in Inuvik or Yellowknife. Part of this is driving up the costs of transportation. I feel that, if possible, this government should have been looking at stationing doctors or interns in the communities, as well as nurses. This would probably be offset by the cost of the number of patients having to be sent south, basically for just an examination.

I had one elder approach me not too long ago where he wasn't really clear why he was sent to Yellowknife. He thought it was for a haircut because that's all he got out of it, and he would thank the government for the haircut. That's the type of thing that could be resolved, simply by putting doctors in the communities and thereby establishing a close relationship with the patients so they know them and the patients are then more responsive to the doctor. Obviously, this would be beneficial all around. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.