Thank you, Mr. Chair. The wellness centre on the Hay River Reserve is definitely under Deh Cho Health and Social Services. However, the actual medical services to the Hay River Reserve have been provided by Hay River Health and Social Services Authority. So we have to sort that out on that building.
I had a discussion with the head nurse out of Fort Providence, as she was asked by Deh Cho Health and Social Services to come to the opening of the wellness centre and to see what files were there that she could take, so that as they begin to man the wellness centre on the Hay River Reserve, they
would be up to speed on the files. She discovered that there are no files on the Hay River Reserve. The medical files are all in Hay River. What we had talked about was that the Hay River Reserve would get its medical services from Hay River. That is currently the plan. We have run into some issues with the consultation or the development of the plan on how we’re going to provide medical services to Deh Cho communities that were in close proximity to Hay River, including Fort Providence, Kakisa and Hay River Reserve. That specific facility would most likely be housed by individuals out of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
We recognize that, in the short conversation I had with the chief of Fort Simpson and also the MLAs, the communities like Fort Providence and Fort Simpson still consider Yellowknife to be their support when they need some medical. That is the stuff that we’re sorting out. But specific to the wellness centre on the Hay River Reserve, it makes good sense to man that wellness centre out of the Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
In Kakisa we have rented some space from the band. We’re going to bring a nurse most likely out of Fort Providence into Kakisa and then the appointments will be made there. They are setting up. I think they bought some things; I’m not sure. These gentlemen were involved with that portion of it, but there are certainly things I talked to the chief there and they were pleased that they are able to have a contract to have sort of a clinic in there, a day clinic in Kakisa on some band property.
All of the people in Enterprise get their medical services from Hay River Health and Social Services Authority.
Regarding Nats’ejee K’eh, I don’t mind answering questions. We have not developed the on-the-land program as of yet. We have hired an individual that is going to work exclusively on developing an on-the-land program in consultation with communities. I believe that they may have had their first joint meeting in Fort Simpson last week…or earlier this week, pardon me. What we are doing is we are developing a youth element. That was one of the other recommendations from the Minister’s Forum on Addictions and Community Wellness, that we also develop a youth addictions program. This individual is working with developing an on-the-land program for youth and that is the first piece of the puzzle. We don’t have any of the documentation from the development of that program at this point.