Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as Members of this Legislature know, a resident of Fort McPherson died from complications arising from tuberculosis in July, 2000.
I would first like to express my sincere condolences to the family. They have raised a number of questions and concerns about the death of their loved one, and they deserve answers.
Shortly after being advised of this death, the chief medical health officer recommended an independent review of this case, as well as the overall delivery of TB programming in the Northwest Territories. We wanted to know what actions were taken to address the medical care of this individual and whether there were improvements or changes that needed to be made to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
This independent review was led by Dr. Anne Fanning, a respected international expert on TB. Dr. Fanning's final report is expected next week and I look forward to receiving her recommendations. I will make copies of the terms of reference for the review available to all MLAs.
In addition, I have recently contacted the chief coroner to request an independent investigation under the Coroner's Act. This request is in response to the needs of the family members who wish to have their questions answered by an individual who is independent of the health and social services system.
I want to clarify to Members that the scope of the coroner's investigation will include the cause of death and circumstances surrounding this death. Following this initial investigation, the coroner is empowered to conduct, through a coroner's inquest, further investigation if he feels this is warranted. This inquest is a formal legal proceeding that involves witnesses and a jury, and that is open to the public.
The coroner's investigation complements the review done by Dr. Fanning. This will provide us with better understanding and insight into the events surrounding this tragedy, as well as how we can improve TB prevention, screening and treatment in all communities. The outcomes of both investigations will be made available to the family, the Legislative Assembly, the health and social services boards and the public.
I look forward to receiving Dr. Fanning's final report and the results of the coroner's investigation. In the meantime, the department will continue to work closely with the Inuvik and other health and social services boards to ensure that standards in TB program delivery are met.
Mr. Speaker, I am giving this issue my utmost attention and wish to assure Members that I will continue to share as much information as possible on the outcomes of these investigations, recognizing of course that we must respect the privacy and confidentiality of the individual and family. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.