The governments of Canada and the NWT have signed two bilateral agreements to improve healthcare access and services in the territory.
The new agreements, which will see the federal government invest more than $36 million into the territory, were announced at a Feb. 13 news conference in Yellowknife.
“These agreements with the Northwest Territories show that working together moves our healthcare system forward,” federal Minister of Health Mark Holland stated. “Both these agreements mean better care for residents and a stronger healthcare system. The Northwest Territories has unique needs, and these deals are important to deliver better care for the residents of Northwest Territories at every stage of their lives.”
The first arrangement is called the Working Together Agreement. It will see the federal government invest more than $24 million to support the Northwest Territories’ three-year action plan to improve its healthcare system.
The funding will focus on increasing coordination and access to primary care across the territory, recruiting and training new healthcare workers, retaining existing workers, improving the delivery of addictions services and specialized care, and strengthening culturally appropriate mental wellness and suicide prevention programming.
The second deal, known as the Aging with Dignity Agreement, will see the federal government provide more than $12 million to support the Northwest Territories’ five-year action plan to assist residents age with dignity close to home, with access to home care or care in a safe long-term care facility.
Funds will be used to bolster data-driven and personalized care for continuing care clients, build stronger infection prevention and cleanliness systems in long-term care, enhance the quality and safety of care, and increase the hours of direct care that long-term care residents receive.
“Today’s announcement marks a significant investment in the health and well-being of NWT residents and communities. With the Work Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians and Aging with Dignity agreements, we are reinforcing our dedication to sustainable, culturally respectful and impactful health initiatives,” said Northwest Territories Minister of Health and Social Services Lesa Semmler, who also attended the news conference.
“These agreements will enable us to build upon existing efforts and address critical healthcare needs across our territory, helping to ensure that every resident receives the care they need, when they need it.”
During the event, Holland and Semmler stated they had met with NWT Indigenous leaders to discuss how the new agreements should be implemented.
“We’ve seen the cracks in our system through Covid,” said Semmler. “We heard from the Indigenous leaders of all those cracks, and we need to respond to those. This funding will help us.”
Both ministers expressed optimism that the impact of this funding should be visible sooner than later, but Holland conceded that some of the desired results will take time.
“You’re not going to see a revolution overnight,” he said in response to a media question. “The problems are deep and systemic.
“Will you see improvements right away? Yes. Will it fix the problems overnight? No.”