Minister of Finance.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Our information is that it's on budget and we're still working to get commitment for the opening date. We're trying to prevent any slippage that would prevent that.

I hope we'll be kept updated on that. I just want to comment on something I've had a concern about at Stanton Hospital. Security of both patients and medical staff was raised quite frequently at the beginning of our Assembly. I'm happy to see the department has now got a bit of a project to develop a couple of secure cells in the emergency room, which is the one I heard most about and an upgrade to the one in psychiatry. I appreciate that. I also appreciate the small project to put in smart cell flooring in the extended care unit and prevent the implications of a lot of falls of patients in that area and potential risks of infection with the current flooring. So just supporting those two projects, modest projects at Stanton.

I appreciate the support from the Member.

Thank you. Next on the list is Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My question is, we seem to be spending a lot of dollars on large-scale public infrastructure such as hospitals and whatnot, but I think we're losing sight of the aging infrastructure in our communities by way of small health centres. We're trying to recruit and retain nurses in our communities, but one of the challenges we're facing is the small design of the older hospitals. I'll use Tsiigehtchic, for instance, because it's in my riding. These buildings are on pilings and we're having some infrastructure challenges, especially in the Beaufort-Delta region.

When you talk to the nurses that are at the health centres and the doctors that go in to provide doctors' visits, there is no room to provide these type of services because of the small designs of these older facilities. I'd just like to ask, in regard to capital infrastructure for health care centres and hospitals, when are we going to be doing a thorough examination and review on the replacement of health centres in communities and, more importantly, accommodating the challenges we're facing of recruitment and ensuring that we're going to be able to house the nurses possibly in the facility itself than having to accommodate them elsewhere? I heard this in the community of Tsiigehtchic, where it is a small community, where the health centre is awfully crowded once you get in there. In most cases the rooms are used for storage and whatnot and there is no excess space for dental care. Even when the doctors visit, they use the same room that the nurses have to operate out of. In most cases there is no accommodation provided. In most other larger centres there are nurses' accommodations being provided.

I'd just like to ask when we are going to do an evaluation of the condition ratings of the health centres in communities and replace those health centres.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to advise the Member that that is exactly the issue that the department has been working on, and we are currently taking an inventory of all of the health facilities by different categories and the status of those health centres in terms of space and age.

I think we understand that many of our health facilities were transferred to us during the federal transfer in the late ‘80s. Many of them have not been replaced. Some of them are in good shape, but we need to have an inventory and we need to have a clear picture of where those facilities are. We are doing that and we plan to bring it back to the committee once that is completed. I don't know exactly what time frame that is, but it is currently underway. We do have a lot of facilities in the Territories that we need to look at.

It would be nice if we could get a copy of that report so we can see exactly where our health centres are on that evaluation and when we supposedly can see a replacement or upkeep in regard to those facilities.

The other facility in my riding that has been listed to do renovations and whatnot is the Joe Greenland Centre in Aklavik, which is a care facility. There again the facility has been on the books for some time. There were supposed to be some major renovations done on that facility. I believe all we did was some roofing. There have been some structural challenges in regard to the pilings and a flood a number of years ago. I'd just like to know exactly when we are looking at replacing those facilities in the communities. I believe it's critical that we have these facilities in our communities, especially for the aging population we have to provide for, but, more importantly to keep the elders as close to our communities as possible and keep them in the regions, if that's possible. I'd just like to also ask what the status is of that facility.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Ms. Meade.

Thank you, Ms. Meade. Mr. Krutko.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'd like to thank the witness for that answer. I believe we do have to have a coordinated effort in ensuring that we are maximizing the use of our long-term critical care facilities and ensuring that we do have the people that are filling these beds and, more importantly, getting the maximum usage of our facilities.

Again, back to my original point, we have to ensure that those facilities are brought up to specific standards, especially when it comes to code issues and violations; electrical code, structural codes. We have a real challenge in the northern part of the Territories, especially dealing with the structural foundations of a lot of these facilities, especially buildings which were built on pilings. I believe that facility I mentioned in Tsiigehtchic is on pilings and also the facility in Aklavik where it has had some foundation challenges also. I think it's important that we do have to -- no offence to the larger health centres throughout the Northwest Territories -- but it seems like we've done a lot of focus on the larger regional hospitals from Inuvik to Fort Smith and here in Yellowknife. I support the efforts for Yellowknife, because it is a territorial hospital, but I think we also have to realize that we do have to not lose sight of the health providers in the communities and the challenges they face. We must also equip them with the facilities that they will be able to work out of and ensure that the working conditions that they are working under are suitable and adequate compared to other centres. If we want to keep these nurses in the communities and keep them providing these services, we have to provide them with the working environment to be in.

So, again, I'd just like to ask that whatever possible we can do as a government to make a major capital investment in regard to the health centres throughout the Northwest Territories and ensure that we are able to provide the services, but also provide the working environment for the providers of health care in our communities, especially the nurses and community health workers, mental health and whatnot. I know the Minister mentioned the question about they're working on it. How soon do you expect to have that information released to ourselves as Members or to committee so we can see where we're going moving forward at these structural investments?

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Mr. Miltenberger.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The intent is to have that planning work and study work done within this fiscal year. When I say this fiscal year, I mean 2010-2011.

Well, I better ask now. When can I see the hospital replaced in Tsiigehtchic and make sure it's in the budget for 2010-2011? I have a farewell gift for Tsiigehtchic on the way out.

Mr. Chairman, within the upcoming fiscal year that work will be done and the Legislature, including Mr. Krutko and all of us, will be able to see what the assessment tells us and what is being recommended.

I know that the Department of Health and Social Services also has responsibility for people with disabilities. I strongly feel that we as a government are not doing enough to accommodate people in our communities who have some disadvantages, especially being disabled, and also providing for the services in our communities. It very much appalls me when we see a person with disabilities stuck in a facility or a small housing unit that has never been designed for people with disabilities. Also, on the service side, a lot of these people cannot leave their homes in some cases for 10 months of the year. They are stuck indoors because of just basic mobility challenges. In our communities, it is not there and yet we have human rights and everything else.

I think this government and as the Department of Health and Social Services that we have to do everything that we can to accommodate those people in our communities who are not receiving the care that they should be simply because of where they live. I would like to request from the Department of Health and Social Services and this government, whatever we do, we cannot lose sight of the fiscal challenges that certain people have in our communities, especially aged, people that are disabled or wheelchair bound, and making sure that, as a government and as a program provider, we do have services in those communities where we know these people are living and ensuring that we try to accommodate them whenever we can from transportation to logistical services to health care services, and also ensuring that those people are working with other department agencies and the Housing Corporation to the Department of Health and Social Services and ensuring all services are provided and are not losing sight of these individuals who basically have some challenges. More importantly, I feel quite strongly that sometimes we sort of lose sight of those people. Out of sight, out of mind. We are not really providing the services that they really need.

With that, I would like to leave it at that and hopefully get the Minister and the department to consider that type of capital investment that we are going to make that we ensure we design these infrastructure to provide by way of accessibility to any health centres or hospitals that we design, or care facilities for people that are in wheelchairs and people that have mobility challenges, that we are able to assist them or improve their quality of life in communities. Mahsi.

Thank you, Mr. Krutko. Minister Lee.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think this is going more into the O and M side of our budgeting process, but I do want to provide the Member with a few things.

First of all, I am not aware of anybody who is housebound for 10 months. If there is any situation like that, I would like the Member to give me the details so we could look into that situation.

The department provides a number of supports to the persons with disabilities and from the capital plan point of view, we work closely with the NWT Housing Corporation who has a program to renovate or build units that would make it more accessible for persons with disabilities. If the Member has a specific question on a specific individual, I would be happy to work with the Member on that.

I would also like to advise the House that the NWT Council of Persons with Disabilities have expanded their offices, because they are the biggest advocate. Not just an advocate, but they do deliver a number of programs on behalf of persons with disabilities from the funding that they receive from our department as well as other government bodies.

Obviously, in terms of capital plan process, any long-term care needs study and health centre facility needs study we are doing does involve surveying not just elderly but anybody who needs assistance with their care. While we as a government and the system want to encourage our residents to stay in their home as much as possible, whether they are elderly or they are ones who need more support by way of respite care, home care and community level service so that we want to support our residents with varying needs to be able to stay at home. Without knowing the specifics of that individual case, I can't speak to that. But certainly supporting our residents with disabilities to live in their home by providing them with capital service, well, the physical services as the program services is something that we are working on. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Lee. Next on my list is Mr. Yakeleya.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I really wanted to know about the Stanton Master Plan, specifically about the component to this plan which is the aboriginal wellness part here.

Mr. Chairman, the Aboriginal Wellness Program certainly has a lot of support from the elders committee that we are seeing this process here. We look forward to having something established within the Stanton Hospital. I want to ask the Ministers, when can we start seeing some real promise in terms of having this part of the hospital program and services that would be dedicated to as we read many years ago in terms of having an Aboriginal Wellness Program in the hospital? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Yakeleya. Ms. Lee.

The Aboriginal Wellness Program is part of the programs being delivered at Stanton. It is being worked on by the elders council. The progress of that program will not be determined necessarily by this Master Development Plan, although that is part of the services that will be delivered and that will continue to be delivered at Stanton.

I think we need to be aware that when we are talking about master development for a hospital the size of Stanton, we are talking about not necessarily the size of the room or where are the rooms located, but also about what kind of programs are we going to be delivering there. There are a lot of changes going on right now that would impact the services being provided at Stanton. For example, the opening of the Dementia Centre in Yellowknife would allow some of the extended care patients to be able to move out of Stanton. The facility being built at Hay River for the assisted living clients would have an impact on the hospital.

The Foundation for Change Action Plan for the department speaks to putting more focus on prevention and strengthening the services at the community level. The Master Development Plan work will go on and the Aboriginal Wellness Program will be part of that, but I want to assure the Member that the work that has started under the leadership of Francois Paulette continues. It will continue and he is doing that on the advice of all of the Elders Advisory Council that has been appointed to look into that. Thank you.