Health department must trim medical travel, Nunavut MLAs complain

Nunavut’s health and social services department is spending too much money, MLAs said March 1 when they met in the legislature’s committee of the whole to examine the department’s request for more money in the 2011-12 budget.

The standing committee’s report, delivered by its co-chair Ron Elliott, MLA for Quttiktuq said “there are a number of areas where our government could do more towards planning for costs and controlling costs.”

And the standing committee member’s weren’t convinced that the department’s request for $32.5 million this year would more prove to be enough for the next 12 months.

The health and social department wants a total of $286.9 million to cover rising expenses in hospital services, residential care, medical travel, out of territory physician services and other needs such as a school breakfast programs.

“With the approval of the additional funding of $32,571,000 added to the base of the department’s budget, this will certainly help to address the increased expenditures the department has been experiencing over the years. It will also ensure that the department will be able to continue to provide essential care and treatment to our most vulnerable residents in our territory,” Nunavut’s health minister Tagak Curley said in his presentation to the committee of the whole.

That’s only $4 million more than the amount the department actually ended up spending in 2010-11, after getting more money from the government.

“Given the department’s ongoing pattern of over-expenditure, the standing committee is of the view that the department’s projected budget for 2011-12 is very much an estimate,” Elliott said.

Member MLAs suggested ways the health and social department might keep its spending down and reduce its over-spending.

MLAs suggested that medical travel — where the department wants $5.4 million more this year — is a place to look for cuts.

Standing committee members were interested to learn that nearly 40 per cent of the budget is spent on the travel and accommodation of escorts.

“While the committee is of the view that appropriate levels of support must be provided to individuals who need to travel far from their home and culture to receive care, members also recognize that the current levels of expenditure are unsustainable,” Elliott said.

MLAs also asked for more attention to filling vacant health positions as a way of reducing costs for hiring short-term nurses and doctors.

Deputy Minister Alex Campbell admitted his department has a vacancy rate of 24 per cent and that there is “an ongoing cycle of recruiting and orientating, and training new staff to get to Nunavut.”

Of 242 nursing positions, 107 were filled, 63 vacant, with 16 agency nurses on the payroll.

Campbell said the department is preparing a strategic action plan to hire more doctors.

MLAs also suggested the GN should divide the department into two: a health department and a social services department, so the programs and services can be better managed.

John Ningark, MLA for Akulliq, suggested that if the health department were a standalone department, “perhaps we can start dealing with the shortage of the health profession in the community and start doing our preventative measures in the health sector.”

Line by line discussion of the 2011-12 main estimates continues March 2 in the legislature.