Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to the attention of the new Minister of Health and Social Services about a long running issue dealing with the sleep apnea testing and treatment programs, including home oxygen and respiratory therapy treatment programs. Mr. Speaker, covering the cost of continuance positive airway, known as CPAC machine under the EHB program is one thing. This is already covered under the non-insured health benefits program and the previous Minister of Health and Social Services committed to doing this under the EHB and I urge the new Minister of Health and Social Services to follow up on this immediately.
Mr. Speaker, another important issue in this regard is the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea condition in general. The long-awaited RFP for provider for this has come out this week and this is a move in the right direction as it follows the guidelines of the National Health Insurance Benefits program as issued. But, Mr. Speaker, the government is still going in the wrong direction in regards to the home oxygen program and respiratory therapy program, which is crucial to treating sleep apnea.
Mr. Speaker, there are hundreds of people in the Northwest Territories who need respiratory therapy, including home oxygen program, and instead of working with professionals available in the North to set up the programs and guidelines, the government has chosen to hire an expensive consultant to say that the government should spend upwards of $500,000 doing it in house when there is a critical shortage of staff at the Stanton Hospital and this service can be provided by the private sector. In fact, there are businesses doing this right now. Not only that, Mr. Speaker, many patients are put in jeopardy by services being provided without a comprehensive policy in line with the National Health Insurance Benefits policy.
Mr. Speaker, the situation needs urgent attention by the new Minister, because it is being mangled up by the interference and hodgepodge decisions being made by the department in Yellowknife and its insurance office in Inuvik. Mr. Speaker, in the days to come I will be calling on the new Minister to clean up this mess once and for all and let the private sector take care of this program under the properly drawn policy guidelines in line with accepted national standards. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
---Applause