Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The residents of Hay River have grave concerns about our healthcare system and many feel that things are getting worse. It is still nearly impossible to make an appointment. At the clinic, physician shortages are now commonplace. The authority can't seem to retain staff, patients are wary of the quality of care that they receive, and the public has generally lost faith in the system.
I don't want to disparage the authority, but it seems to me that these concerns appear to be the result of deep-seated issues that cannot be fixed using a piecemeal approach, and there need to be some substantial, and possibly structural, changes made.
I have some questions for the Minister of Health: is the department aware of systemic issues at the Hay River Health and Social Services authority that contribute to the ongoing difficulties, such as the difficulty retaining staff? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.