Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as an MLA, it is not unusual for me to get calls at all hours of the night. Constituents call me for a variety of reasons, including medical emergencies.
Mr. Speaker, last night at around midnight I received a call from a father who was very concerned for the well-being of his child. This child had suffered a head injury and massive bleeding and unconsciousness had occurred. I was called because they needed medical help for the child and the request for a medevac was being denied.
Mr. Speaker, in the North Slave riding one of my communities does not have a nurse. It does not have health facilities or life-saving equipment. The local lay dispenser [SI1]is the sole medical support for that community. Mr. Speaker, when medical emergencies happen families are in danger because there is no nurse available to do an assessment. Although there is token support, this is often not enough. The only alternative is sometimes a medical charter into Yellowknife for something like sutures. This lack of medical support is dangerous and it is often costly because of the number of charters needed.
Mr. Speaker, communities throughout the North have varying levels of medical support. The support ranges from next to nothing in communities like Wekweti to having a nurse, a clerk, a home care worker and a health centre in Tsiigehtchic, which is roughly the same size as Wekweti.
Mr. Speaker, in early August the Minister of Health and Social Services, various board officials of the Dogrib Community Services Board and myself visited the North Slave communities of Gameti and Wekweti. Mr. Speaker, one of the issues that was raised at public meetings was that there is a need for a standard level of medical services across the Territories. Mr. Speaker, as I have said before, government practices are inconsistent. There is a gap between policy and practice, whether it would be how we award contracts, how we deal with government boards or how we provide medical services.
In this case health programs and services are ultimately the responsibility of the Minister responsible for Health and Social Services and the territorial government. At the appropriate time I will have questions for the Minister of Health. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
-- Applause