Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to welcome everyone back to the house for 2018.
Mr. Speaker, [English translation not provided].
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to propose an idea to the government to turn the Stanton Hospital into a Long Term Care (LTC) school for nurses and long-term workers. Mr. Speaker, we all know that there is a plan to turn the current hospital into a long-term care facility and an extended care facility. What better opportunity would exist in this territory than it to create a nursing school right on site?
Mr. Speaker, students and teachers would provide the necessary care to run the facility. As a by-product, we would be creating a field of home care workers and resident aides who can go back to their communities to care for their elders and keep them out of long-term care as long as possible. As I have said in this House many times, every senior that we are able to keep out of long-term care, we would be avoiding spending $140,000 annually. Recent surveys indicate that the NWT needs 258 long-term care beds. Our current plan may provide about 200 long-term care beds spread out around the NWT. If we are strategic, perhaps we would only need those units and no more.
Mr. Speaker, our small communities would be in a better position to employ these students, whether they be nurses, licensed nurse practitioners, or resident aid workers. Either way, Mr. Speaker, it would have a positive impact on our small communities. Mr. Speaker, this will have an effect of creating good employment opportunities for small communities where employment is needed most. Mr. Speaker, should we not need the additional long-term care beds, the capital cost of the construction of those units plus an annual cost savings of just over $8 million could be realized moving forward.
Mr. Speaker, the students would have many options after they graduate. They can work in the various long-term care facilities across the NWT, or work in home care allowing seniors to age in place in their own homes in their home communities, and this will make for a much happier and healthier population of seniors in the NWT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.