I also wanted to ask a question regarding medical travel. I believe that the policy currently states that an escort be provided for different reasons to people that are travelling south or travelling to the larger centres for medical treatment or evaluation. There is only provision for one person to travel with the person that is going for the health visit. What has happened on a number of occasions is that the person goes with an escort outside the immediate family for varying reasons and end up in a southern institution to find out that they have a terminal illness and may not have long to live.

Given that our communities are very low-income communities, usually there is no way for any of the family members to go and make their last visits or spend time with the person that is very sick. I am wondering if the Minister would consider looking at one-time assistance for people that are really in a dire situation on compassionate grounds. From my standpoint as a mayor and a resident of a small community, it is very difficult when people are in a situation where their mother, father, daughter or somebody is in hospital in Edmonton and they find out that they are dying and they cannot visit them because they do not have the resources, and the family cannot put together the funding. Sometimes people pass away without having visits. I would like to know if the Minister would consider some kind of assistance, be it one-time or partial?