One could forgive federal Health Minister Mark Holland for being a little distracted, which he admitted to during his March 5 funding announcement in Iqaluit, as he had just experienced a family emergency.
Holland said it brought home to him the realities of the discussions he’d been having in Nunavut about accessibility of care, and being separated from loved ones during their health crises.
“I wanted to say how much I appreciate the conversations I’ve had today — conversations with President [of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated] Aluki Kotierk and with so many others… the path forward is unquestionably empowering local communities. Making sure that services are provided in people’s homes,” said Holland.
“As I was saying to President Kotierk just before I got that news, just how difficult to, when you’re in poor health, to be removed from your family, to have to go so far away because the healthcare needed for your loved one…to be away from all of that is devastating. And so, I’m making sure that we’re doing everything we can so that people can get healthcare in their communities, so that seniors don’t have to leave when they need care, leave places they’ve called home their entire life, their support networks and families. So that’s why [Nunavut Health] Minister [John] Main and I are so excited to be here today to talk about two agreements we’ve been working hard on.”
Holland then went on to announce two parts to these agreements that would see $35.6 million flow into Nunavut’s healthcare system system over the next three to five years.
Care closer to home
The ‘Working Together Plan’ would ease access to healthcare at home. The action plan is intended to increase the level of access to primary care across the territory by encouraging education of Inuit healthcare positions in the radiological fields and midwifery to a target of 150 people to five specialists, respectively. It would also expand the paramedic program established in 2021 to all 25 Nunavut communities.
In addition, Qikiqtani Hospital’s new obstetric-gynaecologic program in Iqaluit would recruit more surgeons, expand the cardio department and invest in nurse practitioner pilot programs. All these initiatives would also “establish assessment tools for remote and isolated communities to help understand what communities require, based on population size and population health needs. These tools will assist in the design of primary health care teams in remote settings.”
The plan also intends to focus on attracting more nurses by prioritizing post-secondary education recruitment programs. It would also address essential orthopedic needs by purchasing a much-needed CT scanner, portable MRI and a C-Arm, reducing the need for travel and assessment wait times.
Another target item is the expansion of culturally appropriate mental health, addiction services and specialized care. The funding will support training that ensures Nunavummiut can access Inuit-specific, culturally, and linguistically relevant mental health services and programs.
“John [Main] has been such an advocate… We’re talking about training people from the communities that they’re in…whether or not they’re First Nations, Metis, or Inuit, finding a way to connect them… to careers in medicine so they can serve their own communities,” said Holland.
The second deal involves $12 million towards the Aging with Dignity Agreement, which will be enacted over the next five years in partnership between the two governments.
Broadly, the agreement will ensure home and community care program reviews, expansions, and services, support a stronger local workforce, and enhance long-term care standards within communities. Specific goals include continuing to work with Nunavut Arctic College to “continue developing a tailored personal support worker program to enhance the skills of home and community care workers and continuing care workers in Nunavut, while also supporting their continuing education; and enable nurse practitioners to provide virtual care for long-term care facilities.”
Additional practices will be put in place that focus on Inuit hiring and increasing service hours, as well as other organizational changes to be implemented after a comprehensive review.
Future hopes for healthcare
The goal of all these measures is fundamentally “to provide quality care to Nunavummiut in all 25 communities, to help them maintain independence and well-being,” said Holland.
Main remarked to Holland, “I think it would be really exciting to see you come back here one day, in terms of being able to add to your knowledge of Nunavut’s context, in terms of the challenges that we’re facing right across the territory in healthcare… we’re talking about infrastructure gaps…and we’re also talking about very real logistical issues when it comes to emergency care in the distance between our communities, or how long it takes for a medievac to go from Iqaluit to Ottawa.
“There’s very real challenges, but I’m encouraged and excited to have a strong federal partner to work with, as well excited by the work with our valued partners at Nunavut Tunngavik… it’s in working together we can get through some very real serious challenges, and that’s something that stuck with me today.”