Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not have a question. I want to make a comment to see if you would agree. A call for a quorum. I think it is unfortunate when we identified Health and Social Services as one of the major departments that we wanted to discuss, we have been spending most of the afternoon with maybe four Members in the House, discussing this issue that we have been working on for nine months in this department. It affects every one of our constituents. I do not think we have a quorum, Mr. Chairman. I think people should be here for this.
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
Page 721
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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, Mr. Miltenberger. I will take your advice and ring the bell.
-Pause-
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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Chair recognizes the quorum. 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
Page 721
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Some time ago, I believe in the fall session, I asked the Minister about the mammogram program for the Northwest Territories. I wondered, at the time, if the Minister would look into the possibility of providing literature throughout the territories on breast cancer. I wonder if the Minister could update me about the committee that was established to look into this particular area of concern. I believe there was a committee the Minister made reference to, that was looking into the concerns of breast cancer throughout the Northwest Territories, and the distribution and creation of literature. Could the Minister advise us on that, please?
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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, kindly. 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
Page 721
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
Mr. Chairman, I have not had an opportunity to review any of that information that was coordinated or compiled, 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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. For the benefit of Members, we are on page 6-13 of the Health and Social Services activity summary. 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
Page 721
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you. I wonder if the Minister could just confirm that there is a committee in existence to look into this and what the mandate of that committee is?
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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. The honourable Minister for Health and Social Services, Mr. Ng.
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 721
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
The last time Mr. Ramsden responded, 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 721
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you, the deputy minister of the department, 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
Page 721
Ramsden
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I believe the committee that the Member refers to, is the NWT Working Group on Breast Cancer Screening. There is a surgeon that is
currently working at Stanton Regional Hospital that has agreed to take on the responsibilities of chairing this group. They have been working to develop guidelines that are useful in the NWT, to guide breast cancer screening. Dr. Kinley is the surgeon. He also represents the NWT on the National Committee for the Canadian Breast Cancer Initiative. In addition to the development of guidelines for breast cancer screening, they are working on areas of information exchange and how to develop appropriate information in addition to the information that is currently available in all communities. 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 722
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
Page 722
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Yes, that is the committee I was referring to. I wonder if the Minister or deputy minister could tell us, is there a published guideline for this committee?
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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Qujannamiik. 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
Page 722
Kelvin Ng Kitikmeot
I will refer it to Mr. Ramsden again until it is finished, 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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. 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
Page 722
Ramsden
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There is a guideline that is available. The department has yet to adopt it or enforce it across the Northwest Territories. It is in common use in some, but not all of the regions. There is a dialogue between the Working Group and those boards who have yet to adopt the guideline, to discuss the relevance and priority issues surrounding their adoption and use of the guidelines.
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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Total operations and maintenance. 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
Page 722
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of the concerns I had expressed last fall, was the need for literature to be made available in the communities in the appropriate languages. It is not necessarily needed to create our own documents from scratch here in the north. We could probably take documents from the south and have them translated. I wonder if any initiative has been taken on that end, because I had asked about that in the fall. I think it is important to many people here in the Territories. Women, who are very concerned, would like to see as much literature and promotion of this medical problem as possible, Mr. Chairman. I wonder if the Minister or deputy minister could advise us if literature has been provided to the communities in the appropriate aboriginal languages?
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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. 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
Page 722
Ramsden
Mr. Chairman, each board has put a different priority on this. I would have to do some consultation within the department and boards and come back to the Member. I am not current on the extent to which plain language information has been shared in each area. 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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Final supplementary, 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
Page 722
Jake Ootes Yellowknife Centre
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am confused, Mr. Chairman, as to the purpose of this committee. What is the purpose? Where are they going, and when are they going to conclude some discussion on this?
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 722
The Chair John Ningark
Thank you. Mr. Minister.