Applause for northern premiers

I just wanted to applaud the northern premiers for taking a united stand against signing the new health agreement that the government of Canada, the provinces, and the territories were asked to sign on Feb. 5.

I especially would like to single out our premier, Paul Okalik, for taking an eloquent stand on our behalf, saying that we in Nunavut are special and that our issues are different and that we must be treated differently than people down South.

We have been telling the government of Canada since the mid-1970s that our needs and wants cannot be met by per capita funding formulas, because of the small population, our isolated situation, and most of all, vast territory, where we have to fly in order to visit other communities.

Down South, you can get into your car and in a matter of an hour you can be in a specialized hospital, where you can be attended to by a specialist to look after your needs, as compared to setting up an appointment a month or two in advance for a Nunavummiut to make and visit a specialist either in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa or Montreal.

In most cases, the illness has worsened and you’re required to spend months and even years to cure you, when you could have been looked after more quickly if you were just a couple of hour’s drive from a hospital.

I also agree that the premiers did not turn their backs on the new money for the health program, but to not sign the agreement to make improvements in the overall health issues in the North, in areas such as: regional hospitals, more doctors, nurses, new housing, education, better living, and so on, for the future benefit of all Nunavummiut.

For that stand, I take off my hat to Premiers Okalik, Kakfwi and Fentie for looking at the long-term implication of health issues in the North.

Allen Maghagak
Lennoxville, QC