Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as anyone in this House knows, the trend over the last 20 years of the NT -- like, of the health authorities have had, you know, their own share of trying to manage a health system, operational system, for the residents of the Northwest Territories and have had deficits over the years to be able to continue services so that way when things are budgeted, that when the day they run out, those services don't stop. That's why they have a deficit budget. And so therefore where we are today is now since past COVID, we are seeing more people accessing the services of the Northwest Territories health authority. They are sicker. And they're -- and so when you say -- when there's questions of is the money enough for 15,000 residents, maybe it was five years ago but, like, when we talk about all of these things of forced growth and -- you know, and there's so much different things around this government that we are having to put on the table to pay for, health does have one of the biggest pots of money and yet we're still struggling to be able to provide services throughout the territory. And so whether or not this is the enough amount, is it today? Is it ten years ago? Will it be with changes that we make? It may be. But we have to -- that is why some of that work is being done, to see where we are, what's the right funding that we need, and it's not just in primary care in this, in the region. It's not primary care in how we're going to do it in the -- or sorry, in the capital or in the regions, and how are we going to provide primary care to our residents in the small communities as well. So it's a huge complex -- so we can't just look at it as one hospital, one community. It's a whole territory of how we're going to service our territory. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Lesa Semmler on Question 347-20(1): Physician Workforce Plan
In the Legislative Assembly on October 22nd, 2024. See this statement in context.
Question 347-20(1): Physician Workforce Plan
Oral Questions
October 22nd, 2024
See context to find out what was said next.