Hamlet councillors organized the meeting because of the urgency of the health care crisis in the community. The situation worsened last week after the Keewatin Regional Health Board's chief executive officer, Jim Egan, stepped aside and Bette Palfrey resigned as chair just days after the board's newly hired chief doctor, Ken Hedges, announced he was leaving.

The resignations forced Ng to move quickly. His short-term plan includes moving toward re-establishing a relationship with the Northern Medical Unit, as well as a re-assessment of benefits to nurses in an attempt to recruit more of them to the NWT.

The GNWT's plan for recruitment and retention of nurses will be released by Feb. 15. A long-term plan to address the problem will be released this spring.

In addition, several of Ng's senior staff are scheduled to come to Rankin Inlet in the coming days for two weeks to help the board in the recruitment of staff for nurses and several vacant positions within the board.

Ng admits that this action comes a little late. "So maybe we waited when we should have acted, but that was for the benefit of the trustees," he said. "We try to support boards, but I recognize, with the KRHB, we might have gone a bit far with autonomy and should have questioned some decisions that were made."

John Todd, MLA for Keewatin Central, also accepts some of the blame for the failure of the system. "It's a crisis in the confidence of the board which goes back to the GNWT," he said. "I accept some responsibility as MLA." Todd said that it's time to look for solutions to the problems that exist, and he maintains he's willing to look for the money within the budget if funding is the problem.

But Kivalliq Inuit Association president Paul Kaludjak said the health minister only offered temporary solutions to get the region out of a health care crisis. "There's lots of quick remedies and band aid solutions," he said. "I was hoping there would be more than that."

Kaludjak said the current board should be disbanded, an interim committee set up to bring in some changes and a public inquiry, including an audit of the board, held as soon as possible.

He and Kusugak are also requesting that Ng give up, at least temporarily, his health portfolio in cabinet.

But Arviat mayor Peter Kritaqlaluk was one who didn't want to point fingers to lay blame. He closed the meeting with these positive words: "I think and I know, we're going to have to pull together," he said. "Let's forget about the past. We can do it if we work together."