Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. Today I would like to talk about some of the health concerns in my constituency of Tu Nedhe, namely in Deninu Kue. The community of Deninu Kue has been without a resident nurse for the past couple of months, Mr. Speaker, and currently relies on temporary non-resident nurses to deliver health services within the community. This type of situation, left for extended periods of time, can lead to some grave results, Mr. Speaker. I am speaking literally.
Mr. Speaker, I received numerous calls over the past few days from concerned residents, that there are some elderly persons in the community who are not receiving proper or timely care that they require within the community, mainly because the non-residents have no knowledge or experience of the patient's medical history or lifestyle.
To add to this, also the lack of proper and expedient medical services in the community of Hay River, the long waiting times, and the lack of availability of a doctor does not help the situation at all. Although there are home care workers in the community, they are also not available to assist these elders that require 24-hour care unless the elder is actually living in the elders' facility in which, in this case, many are not.
Mr. Speaker, the community is requesting, from Health and Social Services, a timely resolution to fill the position of a permanent resident nurse within the community and ensure the residents that their health is still a high priority of this government.
Mr. Speaker, I will be asking the Minister of Health and Social Services questions in regard to this situation later in today's session. Mahsi cho.
---Applause