Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to provide Members with a progress report on Health and Social Services in the Northwest Territories.
It is almost three years since the NWT Health and Social Services system action plan 2002-05 was released. This plan outlined 45 action items with specific commitments, timelines and deliverables. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report to this House that the actions outlined in this plan are either completed or being implemented.
As we look back on the last three years, there have been a number of significant changes in the NWT health and social services system that have, and will continue to, improve the services for the residents of the Northwest Territories. Some of these are:
- • We will continue to add telehealth sites every year until we have a telehealth capability in all communities across the Territories. We are expanding our telehealth services by adding or upgrading four sites this year in addition to the existing 10 sites.
- • We launched a new toll-free tele-care service that enables residents to get advice and support from nursing professionals 24 hours a day. When a young mother in Paulatuk has an infant with a fever in the middle of the night, she can get the advice and the reassurance that she is doing the right thing for her child.
- • We enacted changes in our legislative framework so that we can add nurse practitioners into our system to enable better patient care and ease the pressure on our family physicians and specialists.
- • We are also in the process of finalizing the necessary steps to add midwives to the health and social services team to provide another option to expectant mothers outside of Yellowknife.
- • Our Northern Nursing and Nurse Practitioner program has been very successful in supporting our goal of developing a northern nursing workforce.
Over 20 northern nurses have graduated each year, and we have hired each and every graduate that wants to stay in the Northwest Territories.
- • We are completing work on the integrated service delivery model that provides our blueprint into the future to define and provide health and social services in a coordinated and collaborative way beginning where it is most important: at the community level.
- • We have made significant increases to the number of frontline care providers, including physicians, social workers, mental health and addictions workers, nurse practitioners and nurses.
Mr. Speaker, over the last few months, I visited the communities in the Mackenzie Delta, Nahendeh, Nunakput and South Slave. I had the pleasure of meeting many of the staff that deliver services at the community level, such as nurses, social workers, community health representatives, lay dispensers, home support workers, interpreters, and caretakers. Each and every one of these individuals contributes to ensure that residents of the Northwest Territories receive the best services possible. I would like to take this opportunity to personally acknowledge the efforts of all our frontline care providers. Their dedication to the health and well-being of our citizens is the backbone of our system.
Mr. Speaker, as I have already mentioned, we are making progress, but by no means is our work done. Still today we face challenges on a number of fronts.
The unfortunate continual reality is that northerners are generally not as healthy as other Canadians. Life expectancy is lower. Lung cancer mortality rates are high. Rates of hospitalization for influenza and pneumonia are higher. Our rate is more than four times the national average.
These are influenced by the lifestyle choices that each of us makes.
- • We eat poorly. Nutritious food is expensive and, in some communities, not readily available. Our high cost of living often makes eating a balanced diet challenging and this leads to problems with obesity and increased occurrence of diseases such as diabetes.
- • We smoke more. Northerners are twice as likely to smoke or live in a home with a smoker. Smoking causes cancer and makes diseases like asthma, tuberculosis and RSV worse.
- • We drink too much alcohol. Substance abuse is related to many of our social problems and is also linked to mental health issues.
- • We suffer from preventable diseases, whether it is higher incident rates of sexually transmitted diseases or injuries.
Mr. Speaker, another ongoing challenge is in recruiting health care professionals to live and work in the smaller communities and regional centres. For example, we have an ongoing shortage of nurses at the community level. We have to pay a premium to employment agencies just to find nurses to work in isolated communities to ensure services are available to residents. This is expensive and not sustainable in the longer term and, therefore, our efforts to develop a northern nursing workforce must continue.
As we work towards the goal in our strategic plan of healthy educated people living in safe communities, we are able to contribute and take advantage of life's opportunities. It is important that we use a broad definition of health beyond medicine and treatment. The health of NWT residents is greatly affected by external influences, such as levels of education, income and employment opportunities, access to affordable and appropriate housing, clean air and water, and a supportive social environment. This provides an extra challenge in improving the health and well-being of northerners and requires the cooperation of various government departments and agencies to address. To this end, I am pleased to report that the Ministers of the social program departments, Health and Social Services; Education, Culture and Employment; Justice; Municipal and Community Affairs; and the NWT Housing Corporation, now will meet regularly to ensure that there is more collaboration and joint planning and priority setting.
Another challenge involves utilization of our system's facilities. We know that many of our acute care beds in NWT hospitals are not being used anymore, and yet we have pressure to expand other areas of the system, such as in meeting the special needs of dementia clients in our long-term care facilities. The department and authorities are currently reviewing facility utilization and will soon be making recommendations.
Mr. Speaker, as we look to the year ahead and in order to continue to work toward improving the lives of northerners, we are applying to undergo a process to review and update the Department of Health and Social Services strategic plan. The current plan entitled Shaping Our Future - A Strategic Plan for Health and Wellness was put forward and approved in 1998. In the intervening six years, much has changed both within the Northwest Territories as well as within the health and social services system. It is time for us to review and renew the strategic directions of the department and the health and social services system as a whole. All Members of this Assembly, the authorities, frontline workers and the public have a stake in this and, therefore, will be involved in this endeavour.
Furthermore, to follow up to the system action plan 2002-05, I am committed to coming forward in 2005 with a detailed action plan that will outline further steps to improve service delivery.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to spend a moment to mention the ongoing work in implementing the results of the September First Ministers' meeting on health.
I returned Sunday from the meeting of federal, provincial and territorial Health Ministers where the results of the First Ministers' meeting were discussed. This meeting was positive in that there is a new spirit of cooperation between the federal government, provinces and territories to move forward on a variety of health reform initiatives. Rather than repeating this information now, I will be tabling a copy of this communiqu‚ later today.
Also, the Health Ministers from the three territories met separately with the federal health Minister, the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh, to discuss the special $150 million announced in funding for all three territories over the next five years starting with 2005-06 comprised of the following:
- • $75 million will be provided for medical transportation. The NWT share of this fund is estimated to be approximately $3 million annually;
- • $65 million will be provided to the three territories to target innovative and adaptive strategies for long-term health reform, and,
- • $10 million will be used to create a joint federal-territorial working group to look at policy and program management approaches to health delivery in the North.
These discussions were positive and led to an agreement where our officials will quickly work out the details. Some of the concerns and interests the officials discussed related to the specifics of how the funding will be allocated and passed along to the three territories. They will work with the federal officials to ensure that the implementation of the new funding agreements accurately reflects the commitments made by the Prime Minister to the territorial Premiers.
In addition, progress in addressing a number of other long outstanding issues were discussed with the federal Minister. These include:
- • needed improvements in dental health and other services under the Non-insured Health Benefits Program;
- • the need for improved integration of federal health programming and delivery in the three territories between Health Canada and DIAND;
- • the need to review functions, structure and location of Health Canada's Northern Secretariat as it is presently located in Ottawa, but it is supposed to represent and serve the North;
- • exploring opportunities to enhance health promotion and prevention activities given the generally poor health status of northerners.
There was an agreement that the territorial and federal Health Ministers would meet again in February of 2005 to discuss the progress on issues discussed.
Mr. Speaker, in supporting our strategic goal to build a strong northern voice and identity, the people of the NWT can rest assured that the North is being heard loud and clear at the national level as equal partners at the table. Building on a foundation established by the three northern Premiers, we have made a conscious effort to develop a very strong partnership with Nunavut and Yukon Health and Social Service ministries enabling us to present a united northern front. This has resulted in a better recognition, understanding and support of our unique northern health and social service issues by our provincial colleagues.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me reiterate that, over the last few years, progress has been made in providing improved health and social services. However, we have by no means solved the many problems we face. We are committed to working with all northerners, Members of this Assembly, the authorities, our health care providers, and the federal government to improve all of our lives. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause