This is page numbers 767 - 824 of the Hansard for the 19th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was going.

Topics

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Infrastructure, Minister Nokleby, and I both participate at a national FPT, and we participate with the PPE, trying to find the requirement here in the Northwest Territories. You look at the situation now, we are having a number of low cases of people who have the flu symptoms, but we do need to prepare for, one, the second wind, and we need to prepare PPE for when the flu season comes. Right now, in terms of the N95 masks, we are looking at it's called a reusable PPE, so we have been reusing PPE in accordance with the federal guideline. We have four sterilization machines that have been secured to extend the life of the N95 masks and to help maintain our supply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

I am not sure how much PPE we have, but it's useful to learn that there is now a trend towards making it reusable. Can the Minister tell me where in the NWT the supplies are located? Are they all in Yellowknife, Inuvik, and Hay River, or are they in other places, as well?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

The national emergency supply system sends all of their supplies here, and we have what is called a dashboard, so, at any time, we are able to see what we have. With Stanton Hospital, what we have with gowns, gloves, sterilizers, N95 masks, surgical masks, visors, facials. So we have quite a list, extensive list, of all of the equipment, and we are able to show how many stock days we have by region.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you to the Minister for that. Can the Minister just clarify that some of the supplies are in the regions and some of them are here in Yellowknife?

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

If you saw the CBC headlines this noon, there was a big announcement that PPE supplies have arrived in Canada, so we are all quite excited, which means that we will start to get more and more supplies. The idea is to continue to stockpile so that, when we get the next wave and we get the next flu season, we would be able to have enough in stock. However, at any given time right now, we are able to see where our stockpile is by the regions and by the communities. When numbers start to get low, we have a tracker so we are able to track how many gloves someone needs, and right now they only have enough for so many days, and we are able to send them out so that in any of our health centres or our hospitals, we are able to track and give them the supplies.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Yellowknife Centre.

Julie Green

Julie Green Yellowknife Centre

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you to the Minister for clarification. My final question is: who has access to these supplies? Is it only the medical professionals in Yellowknife and the regions, or are there other service providers who have access to the NWT stock of PPE? Thank you.

Diane Archie

Diane Archie Inuvik Boot Lake

We have a variety of stockpiles. Health, we maintain and we track our own list of supplies and PPE. We also, Infrastructure, we have a stockpile of PPE, as well as MACA, and MACA is working on distributing it now to Indigenous groups and the communities. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A question for the Minister of Justice: can the Minister confirm if additional staff are required to be on duty SMCC during this pandemic period, above what was there prior to it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Hay River South. Minister of Justice.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. At this point, there is no indication that additional staff are necessary. What we have been doing, though, is certainly working with human resources in the correctional facilities to ensure that all staff are available to be present. The information I have is that, so far, we have had no difficulty in maintaining the services that are required in the correctional facilities.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

I have had concerns raised by some of the staff that their leave has been cancelled, and there is starting to be some burn-out. Is your department aware of this?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

I have no doubt that there is some burn-out. The correctional facilities across Canada right now, many of them have actually been struck quite significantly by COVID-19. We have been fortunate in the Northwest Territories to not be in that situation, but it is not for lack of tremendous effort put in by the correctional facility staff to undertake their work in a very difficult environment. We are aware that they always work in a challenging environment, and they are working in a particularly challenging environment right now with COVID-19. There are additional requirements for hygiene and cleanliness and sanitation. There are additional requirement for scanning inmates when they enter the facilities. So indeed, yes, we are certainly aware that the situation has been challenging for a lot of the correctional facility workers, as well as any of the essential workers, front-line workers, across departments in the Northwest Territories.

Essentially, Mr. Speaker, I am providing that answer as much from the Department of Finance human resources as I am from Justice, that it is a challenge for front-line workers all across, who are at times having their leaves cancelled because of the nature of the work that they are doing and the need to maintain services. I do not necessarily have a solution for the Member right now, other than to assure him that we are aware.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Yes, I guess we have employees staying at home and probably burning out because it is difficult to be home day after day and trying to work from home. I understand that, as well. However, with respect to SMCC and corrections, what I see, I guess I equate burn-out with a safety issue, as well. How are you going to reconcile those two to ensure that nothing goes sideways in the facilities?

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

I will take a moment first to just remind all GNWT employees there are quite a number of measures that have been made available to staff for mental wellness. They are available under the "My HR" website. There have been extensive changes made to increase and enhance what is available for all employees, including correctional services employees. Prior to COVID-19, there were efforts under way already between human resources and corrections to start working together to really identify the fact that correction services is a challenged environment for employees and to try to find some solutions going forward. Some of that work has been delayed a little bit with COVID-19, but, really, we are starting to look at what we can do to get back to some of that business and back to doing the things we were under way in. That is certainly one of the areas that I will have to make sure that we are indeed getting back to that important work.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Member for Hay River South.

Rocky Simpson

Rocky Simpson Hay River South

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Will the Minister just commit to taking a look at the SMCC facility? You know, there may not be a lot of employees there who are in that predicament, but there may be a few, and it would be nice to have it addressed sooner than later.

Caroline Wawzonek

Caroline Wawzonek Yellowknife South

We have three facilities, four if you include the youth facility, separate from the NSCC, and I would certainly commit to taking a look at the mental health resources available specific to corrections workers across all of those facilities. Thank you.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Minister. Colleagues, our time for oral question has expired. We will now take a 10-minute recess and finish up the rest of the session. Thank you.

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The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, colleagues. I will now call the House back to order. Item 10, written questions. Member for Kam Lake.

Caitlin Cleveland

Caitlin Cleveland Kam Lake

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. On March 10th this year, I delivered a Member's statement along with oral and written questions on virtual care in the Northwest Territories. Little did I know, one week later, we would be sent home, and our healthcare system would instantly break down the barriers to delivering virtual care in the Northwest Territories. As a result, I have written questions for the Minister of Health and Social Services on the provision of virtual care in the Northwest Territories.

  1. What solutions does the Department of Health and Social Services use to satisfy the barriers identified in the virtual care taskforce report, including, but not limited to, interoperability and governance, licensure and quality of care, payment models, and medical education?
  2. What additional challenges or barriers did the Government of the Northwest Territories encounter through the provision of virtual care?
  3. How does the Department of Health and Social Services intend to continue providing virtual care to Northwest Territories residents post-pandemic?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

The Speaker

The Speaker Frederick Blake Jr.

Thank you, Member for Kam Lake. Written questions. Item 11, returns to written questions. Mr. Clerk.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have returns to eight written questions to table.

Clerk Of The House Mr. Tim Mercer

Mr. Speaker, I have a Return to Written Question asked by the Member for Yellowknife Centre on February 13, 2020, regarding reducing core need.

Later today, at the appropriate time, I will table a summary report on the Northwest Territories Housing Corporation's actions to support residents in core need, costing for these actions and the 2019-2022 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - NWT Bilateral Agreement under the 2017 National Housing Strategy. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.