Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My statement today has to do with patients and escorts travelling outside of their home communities for medical treatment; and in particular with regard to communications between the airlines and the travel agencies.
Recently, Mr. Speaker, in the last two months I ran into constituents, both at the Inuvik and Yellowknife airports, who were returning home after receiving medical treatment at the Stanton Territorial Hospital. On the first occasion, Mr. Speaker, an elderly 86-year-old woman with an escort arrived in Inuvik, and must have travelled from her home community late that afternoon. She found out on her arrival at Inuvik that she was on standby to return to her community. Fortunately, Mr. Speaker, the escort had an appointment at the Inuvik hospital that afternoon. Eventually, they had to overnight in Inuvik over the weekend, mainly because there are no scheduled airline trips to Tuktoyaktuk over the weekend, Mr. Speaker.
On the second occasion, Mr. Speaker, another patient arrived from the Stanton Territorial Hospital in Inuvik. This patient was clearly in pain because he had just had an operation the night before. Once again, on the arrival in Inuvik, he found that he was on standby to return to Tuk. I assisted the patient by calling the travel department at the Inuvik General Hospital. Their response at that time was to wait at the airport. Let me say again, Mr. Speaker, the patient was in pain. Mr. Speaker, this is about a four-hour wait at the airport.
Finally, Mr. Speaker, once again I was travelling to Tuk, and on my return there were a number of patients waiting at the airport to return to Tuk. Eventually, Mr. Speaker, the plane was cancelled that evening. I was told the next morning by some of the patients that they were denied supper at the hospital because they shut down at 6:00 p.m. Fortunately some of the patients had money to get their own food at the restaurant.
Mr. Speaker, should there not be better communication between the travel agencies of the hospitals and the airlines prior to the patients being released from the hospitals? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause