Health minister in hot seat over spending, travel

Simmering discontent over problems in Nunavut’s health care system boiled over in the Legislature as MLAs spent five days grilling Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq about spending increases and a wide range of other issues.

MLAs questioned of the minister at every turn, as they met in committee of the whole each afternoon from Feb. 28 to March 6 to review the department’s budget, twice prompting the chairman to ask members not to ask questions that are hypothetical or seeking an opinion.

Arviat MLA David Alagalak raised the first issue: the department’s response to news that the Baffin Regional Hospital had lost its accreditation in January. On Jan. 18, the department announced it would spend an extra $2.3 million to address problems at the hospital.

“Member are concerned that sudden increases to the department’s budget to address a specific situation in one region, where the quality of health care is apparently not at risk, may not take into account other needs and priorities for health care delivery across Nunavut,” Alagalak said.

Alagalak said his committee was also concerned about:

* when Nunavummiut would see the results of the Care Closer to Home strategy;
* people with disabilities, and news reports about people with disabilities who are forced to travel out-of-territory for help, sometimes without financial support from Nunavut;
* a lack of stable women’s shelters, and programs, for both men and women, to reduce family violence;
* and the long-awaited client and escort travel policy, which members have been asking the minister about since the last legislative session, but which has yet to be made public.

Five MLAs made opening remarks to the minister, with issues ranging from the need for more doctors, nurses and social workers to the client travel policy that sends some unilingual elders on their own for treatment.

Aglukkaq — and her colleagues in the house — got a sharp jab from Peter Kilabuk, who was, until he resigned recently, Aglukkaq’s cabinet colleague. The Pangnirtung MLA said he was tired of hearing the same old complaints, and that it was time for some fresh thinking in the department.

“If we know we have patients traveling that are unilingual, very capable, why don’t we just say spend a few minutes with them at the nursing station and just go over with them what they should expect on the trip? And maybe present them cheat cards?”

“These are the things we need to start looking at if we are serious about wanting to solve some of the problems that the department faces.”

By the fifth day of the grilling, Aglukkaq appeared calm and composed in a smart gray suit and yellow blouse, flanked by her new temporary deputy minister, Dave Ramsden.

Aglukkaq told members that:

* she has requested a review of the allocation of social workers by community;
* she will support the international nurses as she would any nurse hired to work in Nunavut;
* her department is looking into delivering drug and alcohol treatment programs;
* and the department plans to train more community health representatives and nurses in Nunavut.

Aglukkaq several times referred to a client travel policy, which she said would be released by April 1, along with a communications strategy to inform the public.

The Department of Health and Social Services plans to spend $224.7 million to deliver health care in 2006/2007, more than one fifth of the Government of Nunavut’s planned operations and maintenance spending. The health department also accounts for 22 per cent of the government’s capital spending.