Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The informatics plan that the department submits is primarily a numbers based document. It is supported by a strategy that we refer to as network 99, which outlines the implementation of new information management systems and has begun to map out the systems job that we have to twin the various systems that we will need to accomplish before 1999. Thank you.
Debates of Feb. 19th, 1997
Topics
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Ramsden
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Miltenberger.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This whole area of information systems, especially in Health and Social Services where it is, I think, clearly recognized that the systems we have now are not adequate for the task that is being demanded of them. I think it is very important and it is long overdue. I was wondering if the Minister or Mr. Ramsden could indicate, is there a time line in this network 99 plan and has that document been shared with us? It rings no bell, but it sounds like it is very interesting and important. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I generally go through the Minister but in this case I am getting another signal from the Minister to recognize Mr. Ramsden. Mr. Ramsden.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Ramsden
The strategic document that we are using uses a two-year time frame and it is linked in large part to the roll out of the digital network that will provide essentially the information highway that is needed to support the transmittal and collection of data. The work is set to begin in both the Baffin and Inuvik in April or May of this year, depending on timing. Some of the initial training events have already taken place for our regional staff in those two regions. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 720
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Will this electronic 99 system, since it is tied into the digital network, be able to tie in when it is all over and done, in terms of construction with all the other government-wide systems so there is an ability to transfer information? Is there a paper available on Network 99? Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Mr. Ramsden. I will refer it to Mr. Ramsden to finish off this topic, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 720
The Chair John Ningark
Mr. Ramsden. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Ramsden
Mr. Chairman, there is a document that we are using to support the discussions with each of the boards. It has not been released publicly, if you will, but it certainly has been on the table to people between the department and boards and the people that are supporting us. Very much one of the goals that we have set for ourselves is to accomplish the linkages that the Member referred to. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Final supplementary, Mr. Miltenberger.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Michael Miltenberger Thebacha
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My final question on this issue would be, would that information since it is being shared with health boards and since, though we are a public government we are not public in the strictest sense of the word, would we be able to have access to that document. I would be very interested in seeing that. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Page 720
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Minister.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Yes, thank you, Mr. Minister. No problem.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. I am told that the Speaker is now in the building. We have some business to do that we have not finished with the Speaker. I think that we had better step out of this House to do that. So we will take a 15 minute break.
-- Break
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
I would like to call this committee back to order. We are dealing with Health and Social Services 1997/98 main estimates. Particular activity is support and
health services administration. We have Mr. Ootes. I have some questions I wanted to ask the Minister. Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am looking at the tabled document, which was tabled on January 31, 1997, and the areas I noted were support and health services administration. There were four specific areas where the main increases have taken place. One was the information systems $5 million, the other was the territories hospital increase from $18 million to $19 million and physicians outside the NWT $14 million to $15 million and medical travel benefits from $21 million to $26 million. On the medical travel benefits program, that is a dramatic increase, and I assume that 1996/97 was a substantial increase from the year before. I am making that assumption from earlier discussions. Could the Minister tell me what steps have been taken to try and analyze this whole area of medical travel, and what steps are being taken to try and get some control in that area?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Member is correct. It does increase yearly. Primarily as a result of forced growth issues that were spoken of earlier. We are trying to put in place some more monitoring to see whether or not the validity of travel is required, and to try to stem some of the growth in those areas. Some of the boards have put in place requests for proposals or medevac services, to reduce the charges when it comes to the unscheduled travel. There are some actions to address this issue. I have mentioned earlier about the non-medical travel. The escort travel is another area that has been reduced to try to alleviate some of the pressure on this growth area, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Ootes.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
I take it this is a budget projection and therefore, with the programs that the Minister has outlined, it still is a $5 million increase. I would hope that the Minister can really enforce and try and do what he can in this particular area. It is the biggest budget item in the whole support and health services administration. The concern, Mr. Chairman, are those four areas represent the $12 million increase in the budget. The request I have, looking at the whole budget for this particular area, support health services administration, it is $98 million this year, that is larger than many of our departments, in financial terms. I would hope that the Minister could supply further information on this particular area, specifically for next year's budget. This is very summarized into one page and it certainly does not tell me a lot about where the expenditures have taken place. I wonder if the Minister could commit to providing more detail in future budgets in the business plans?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister?
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The budget information is prepared based on Financial Management direction for consistency throughout the government, and will continue to take direction from them. On that, as far as some of the more detailed information in our business plan preparations, that takes place through the Standing Committee Review. Not all Members have access to that information, Mr. Chairman. Thank you.
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 19: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
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The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Operations and maintenance. Total operations and maintenance, Mr. Miltenberger.