Health care is expected to be a focal point of the N.W.T. Legislative Assembly’s short seven-day spring sitting which begins Wednesday.
Physicians have been expressing worries over staff shortages so critical that they’re uncertain how certain departments at Yellowknife’s Stanton Hospital are managing.
will continue to function
.
Kieron Testart, the MLA for Range Lake, mentioned that he receives multiple phone calls every day from both patients and healthcare providers regarding issues within the healthcare system.
He stated, ‘We require genuine solutions for this issue.’ He emphasized the necessity of having an authentic strategy, which has not been presented so far.
On May 8, Testart, alongside MLAs Robert Hawkins and Richard Edjericon, released a statement listing 13 calls to action.
to tackle the health-care emergency
This involves eliminating agency nurses by 2026, establishing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in Northwest Territories hospitals, and expediting policies related to technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual care.
Testart mentioned their plan to propose a motion urging the minister and the health department to take those measures.
“Although these ideas might not be put into practice right away, we must pledge to work on them,” Testart stated.
Health Minister Lesa Semmler has refuted claims suggesting that the Stanton emergency room is close to shutting down, with Premier R.J. Simpson adding his perspective.
has voiced support for Semmler
.
Julian Morse, MLA for Frame Lake, agrees health care will be a major focus of the spring sitting. He also expects MLAs to discuss the latest
submit the report for the government’s emergency response
to the 2023 wildfires.
Morse expresses his hope to learn that the government will address the recommendations put forth by the report authors, particularly the suggestion to establish an independent emergency management organization.
Education might also take center stage during these sessions. Back in March, Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonez mentioned that the government planned to develop a strategy for ongoing education in smaller towns following Aurora College’s announcement in January about its intentions regardingeducation.
close its community leaning centres
.
Sahtu MLA Danny McNeely said that’s something he’ll be waiting for.
Wawzonek likewise pledged to come up with a
approach to defending the Arctic and maintaining sovereignty
In the forthcoming session, she stated then that the community learning centers and arctic defense strategies were key topics raised during the budget talks.
The spring session of the Legislative Assembly comes to an end on May 29.
