Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I guess I still don't really understand what precipitated the change or the downgrading of the service, the minimizing of the scope of service available in those communities. I mean, in former days you would have to be extremely sick to be medevaced outside of the community. But now it seems like everything gets medevaced. People with appendicitis are medevaced. A person with a broken limb is medevaced. That all used to be dealt with. If there's a full complement of registered nurses and a full complement of doctors, I still don't really understand why those kinds of, I don't want to call them routine, but why those kinds of services are not available in the communities like Hay River and Fort Smith. I don't know what precipitated the change in the ability to deliver the services. Like I said, I do know we went through a period of time where recruitment was an issue. They didn't have the doctors for backup. But now it seems like it's become just a way of doing business. I don't know what is driving that, but I don't think it's a good thing. I think it's more costly and I don't know why we can't just say no. These things will be dealt with. I know you say, well, it's a medical decision and we don't interfere in medical decisions if somebody's going to be transported or referred for a different kind of assessment or care or procedure. But surely we have some control over the level of service that can be offered and can be professionally and capably delivered in these smaller facilities. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Jane Groenewegen on Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
In the Legislative Assembly on February 17th, 2005. See this statement in context.
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
Item 20: Consideration In Committee Of The Whole Of Bills And Other Matters
February 17th, 2005
Page 1344
See context to find out what was said next.