Return to Written Question 8-14(2) asked by Mr. Krutko to the Minister of Health and Social Services concerning THMs in Fort McPherson's drinking water.
I am pleased to respond to questions regarding trihalomethanes (THMs) in Fort McPherson's drinking water.
1. Availability of necessary preventative technologies for early detection of cancers
Screening against cancer is a core program of the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board. All NWT residents have access to necessary preventative technologies for the early detection of cancers.
In Fort McPherson, well woman and well man clinics are held weekly to enable people to come for regular check-ups. In addition, the community health representative calls people on their birthday to come in for a check-up. If any problem at all is identified, the nurse offers to do a clinical examination or refer the person to the doctor, who visits monthly, if this could help them feel more comfortable. If a problem is identified in the nurse's examination, the patient will be referred to the doctor or sent to Inuvik for further investigation.
Every effort is made to ensure that opportunities are available to residents to help them monitor their health.
2. Provide residents with guidelines for effective use of BRITA water tilters
Environmental Health staff of the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board prepared guidelines for home treatment of drinking water, including the use of BRITA water filters. These guidelines were provided to all residents who were issued a BRITA water filter by the hamlet office. In addition, the BRITA filter system and replacement filters come with instructions on the effective use of this particular filter system.