Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Rankin Inlet (Aug 29/01) - A group of top health officials gathered in Rankin Inlet this past week to discuss primary health care in Nunavut.

Health and Social Services deputy minister Andrew Johnston was in attendance, along with assistant deputy ministers Keith Best and Richard O'Brien.

The two-day meeting was also attended by Nunavut's three regional executive directors for health and social services (Glen Thompson, Baffin, Sharon Elaloak, Kitikmeot, Joanne Bezzubetz, Kivalliq), senior nursing and social work representatives and local health centre staff.

Nunavut's community health nursing consultant, Rachel Munday, says the meetings focused on the five principals of primary health care: an emphasis on health promotion; accessibility; community participation in all aspects; inter-sectoral collaboration (everyone working together) and appropriate technology such as tele-health.

Guest speakers at the meeting included the associate professor of nursing from McMaster University (Michael Ladouceur), the executive director for strategic health initiatives in Manitoba (Bev Ann Murray), Lynne Gray of the registered nurses association of B.C. and Kivalliq elder Ollie Ittinuar.

"Basically, we're looking at ways to improve primary health care in Nunavut," says Munday.

"We need to have everyone working together and money being spent in the right places to improve upon our existing system."

It's been commonly accepted for the past 25 years that in order to keep populations healthy, a health system needs more than just doctors and nurses sewing up cuts and dispensing antibiotics.

Community issues such as proper housing, education and sanitation play just as important a role in an effective health system as curative workers.

Munday says in order for Nunavut's primary health care to improve, the accent has to be placed on health promotion and illness prevention.

"We need to work harder to keep people healthy before they need to see doctors, nurses and social workers. Good health is the provence of a lot of people, not just doctors and nurses."