Letter in support of Palluq Manning

To: Paul Okalik, Premier of Nunavut; Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Social Services; Matthew Saveajuk Jaw, Mayor of Cape Dorset

By sending this letter, I add my name to the growing number of people concerned about Cape Dorset’s Palluq Manning’s situation in Ottawa.

Inuit requiring long-term patient care outside of Nunavut must be eligible to receive essential services such as room and board, as well as transportation to their medical appointments.

The case of Mr. Manning is no exception. It was not out of his own free will that he has had to reside in Ontario for treatment, but because Nunavut was not able to provide the kind of care that he needs.

For this reason, Mr. Manning should not be considered a resident of Ontario, but a resident and beneficiary of Nunavut who must receive immediate room and board as well as transportation to his appointments.

Other Inuit boarding homes, such as the one in Winnipeg, have in the past made room and transportation available for long-term care patients from the Kivalliq region. It would be negligent of the Nunavut government to avoid providing the same kind of treatment for those living in the Baffin region or elsewhere.

We urge you to take his case and immediately work with Larga Baffin House to provide him with the essential care that he needs. Inuit should never be put in a position where they have to choose death over life if it is avoidable.

Terry Patenaude

Winnipeg

Editor’s note: This letter was first posted on the www.iglootalk.com discussion forum. We’re reprinting it here for those who would like to send their own letter in support of Palluq Manning.