N.W.T. MLAs decry lengthy medical travel flights for seniors
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New health minister promised to look into issue, but did not outline immediate changes
MLAs in the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly are decrying the toll lengthy medical travel flights can take on seniors. Some are calling for change.
New Health Minister Denny Rodgers says he’s willing to look at “everything” — but did not promise any immediate, new exemptions.
During Wednesday’s session, Frame Lake MLA Julian Morse told the assembly that seniors are having to take increasingly longer, indirect flights to Edmonton from Yellowknife for medical appointments.
Morse says these trips can take up to six hours, which can take a toll on seniors.
“A few additional hours on a plane is not a concern for the majority of medical travel patients, but for people who are less able to endure long flight times and discomfort, particularly elders, it is a significant burden,” said Morse.
He referenced complaints he’s heard from seniors who “are physically unable to sit on a longer flight.” Morse described how these individuals said they had submitted doctor’s notes and sought exemptions to be put on a shorter flight, but their requests were denied.
Morse says he’s at a loss as to why or how the people responsible for the exemption policy could ignore a doctor’s note.
He asked Lucy Kuptana, who was interim health minister at the time, to create new medical travel exemption criteria for seniors, elders and people with conditions that could be exacerbated by longer flight times.
Kuptana said exemptions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. But she took Morse’s point.
“The minister’s office will look at it and provide an analysis,” Kuptana continued.
But she also says medical travel has no easy fixes.
“Over 23,000 people are travelling on medical travel each year,” said Kuptana, also noting how costly the service is to taxpayers.
“These are difficult times and difficult cases.”
Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins also jumped in on the subject on Wednesday. He asked why a doctor’s note can be overruled.
Kuptana said the office would look at the policy, but she said other exemptions are being upheld, citing individuals who need supplemental oxygen to travel, and are booked on direct flights.
“That’s one exception that is provided with medical travel, but we’d have to look at the other further instances.” Kuptana said.
‘We’ll look at everything’: new health minister says
The day after Wednesday’s debate on the matter, Inuvik Boot Lake MLA Denny Rodgers was named Health Minister. When asked about the subject, he also gave an example of some existing exemptions, mentioning those who require oxygen.
But whether there’ll be any new exemptions coming, it’s too soon to say.
“To commit to another exemption list — we’ll look at everything right now,” he said.
Rodgers says the department’s goal is to always ensure patients get to their appointments on time. “People are getting to their appointments and that’s the main thing,” he said.
Rodgers takes on the role with only about a year left in this government’s term.
“I’m not a caretaker in this position. I’m here to do work as we’ve always done,” Rodgers said, pledging to get “up to speed” on this new portfolio quickly.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Stranded medical travellers at Nunavut airport say they were left cold, CBC News
Sweden: Municipalities in Sweden’s North struggling to hire care staff for seniors, Radio Sweden
