Council agreed unanimously last Thursday to let territorial Health Minister Kelvin Ng know Palfrey should resign. The decision came after discussions on the Northern Medical Unit and the Dental Therapy Program, both of which have been removed from the region without adequate community consultation.

"The council feels that they are not going to consult with their community when they deal with health services. If they are not going to do that, the chairperson of the health board should resign. It's plain and simple," said deputy mayor Lorne Kusugak.

Others were less diplomatic.

Councillors Levinia Brown and Hunter Tootoo said they are upset they had to read in a newspaper, instead of hearing from the board, that the NMU contract with the Keewatin was not being renewed.

"I'm just so heartbroken. I just want to cry because I'm feeling so left out," said Brown shaking her head.

Tootoo shared her grief. "I don't know how they operate. It's almost like a little dictatorship over there."

Council also wants Ng to dissolve the KRHB and let the hamlet or the Kivalliq Inuit Association to take over its responsibilities.

Hamlets in Rankin, Arviat and Baker Lake have been unhappy with the board since last fall when there was talk the dental therapists would be removed from the communities to save the money and to improve the program.

Two months ago, therapists were pulled and replaced and by Kiguti Dental Clinic, a private company.

The three communities asked for the program to be returned and transferred to hamlet control with block funding from the GNWT, but Ng refused.

Then came news that the J. A. Hildes Northern Medical Unit with the University of Manitoba will not be offering services to KRHB after Sept. 30.

"All I know is we're going to lose something we know and trust. And what are we going to replace it (with)? Maybe it might be something very good, said Kusugak. "But we would like to know what that other thing is before we let go of this one."

KRHB chairperson, Betty Palfrey was unavailable for comment.