How much would it cost to make the health system in the Northwest Territories comparable to the systems in southern Canada? More than $ 32 million extra, says Prime Minister Caroline Cochrane.
Canada’s prime ministers met in Victoria this week for the Federation Council summit, and tensions over the country’s health systems were a major item on the agenda.
The prime ministers called on the federal government to increase the amount of provincial and territorial health costs covered by Ottawa through Canada’s health transfer, from 22% to 35%, in a joint statement released Tuesday.
Canada’s health transfer is the largest transfer payment the federal government makes to provinces and territories.
In the Northwest Territories, an increase as suggested by prime ministers would mean an additional $ 32 million, Cochrane told a media conference on Wednesday.
“While this would help support our already struggling health care system, it does not fully address the gaps that currently exist: it will require additional investment from Canada,” he said.
It’s hard to calculate exactly how much more money the NWT needs, especially amid the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cochrane said, but “we need more”.
Health and Social Services are usually in deficit
The Department of Health and Social Services regularly has a deficit, the prime minister said.
“I don’t like to say it, but I often call [Health and Social Services] the poor cousin because other departments are diligently trying to make sure they fit budgets, but how can you say no to health care? ”he said.
“As a cabinet, we all recognize that even though they have a budget, it will expand in excess.”
The territory estimates that this year more than $ 594 million, almost 29% of its budget, will be spent on health and social services. Nearly $ 54 million is expected to come through Canada’s health transfer.
In their case of increasing federal health transfers, prime ministers allude to nationwide lack of medical staffa problem with which the Northwest Territories are too familiar.
This summer, a shortage of staff forced the Northwest Territories Social Services and Health Authority to do so. cut diagnostic and lab imaging services in Yellowknife and availability of doctors in Hay River. The health authority also blamed the staff shortage suspension of childbirth services at Stanton Territorial Hospital last winter.
Canada’s prime ministers are answering questions from the media on Tuesday on the last day of the Federation Council’s summer meeting at the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, BC. (Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press)
Staff shortages increase health care costs, MLA says
Lesa Semmler, MLA of Inuvik Twin Lakes, worked as a nurse and in other health care functions at the NWT for 17 years. He said the shortage of medical staff is costing even more money in the territory.
“We have a staff shortage that most of the staff is always doing overtime … and that’s something that’s not budgeted for,” he said.
“In my past experience, you can’t budget overtime, so it’s always just an extra expense.”
Cochrane said the territory has long struggled to hire health professionals, while offering attractive salaries and benefits.
The pandemic made matters worse as southern jurisdictions improved wages and benefits to attract more health workers to their overburdened systems, eliminating NWT’s competitive position.
Cochrane said in response, the territorial government has put more effort into hiring and retaining health personnel and that this push is now paying off.
“In the last 30 days we are seeing an increase in nurses arriving in the Northwest Territories,” he said.
“It’s a start, but it’s something we’ll have to focus on a lot, probably over the next two years.”
Semmler said he had not heard of the new nurses and asked if they were permanent or substitutes.
“Because we’ve had a lot of substitute nurses and that, too, is an additional expense for the health care system: to cover the cost of travel, per diems and all the other expenses that come with flying. And out of nurses for the short term. “, he said.
“We need to figure out a way to insure more nurses and in the long run, because the health of people in the Northwest Territories will only improve when our health professionals live here and meet people.”
Semmler said ongoing staff shortages are not the only pressure on NWT’s health care system. The territory faces numerous exceptional health expenses, from medical evacuations, medical trips, to long-term care outside the territory and treatment of addictions.