Kent Driscoll
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Sep 19/05) - The department of health and social services is zero for two when it comes to meeting dental flights from the Kitikmeot region at the Iqaluit airport.

Last week, a chartered flight - with 28 dental surgery patients - arrived from Kugluktuk in Iqaluit. When the plane touched down, there wasn't anyone to greet the passengers, causing confusion for the travellers.

This is the second time the department has flown patients from the Kitikmeot region for dental surgery in the past two months, with similar results. A flight from Cambridge Bay at the end of July also went unmet until an MLA intervened.

Minister of Health and Social Services Leona Aglukkaq says everything was in place to ensure the trip went as planned.

"From what I understand, the flight landed a half an hour early. By the time the escort arrived at the airport, they were already gone. My staff caught up to them in the lobby (of the Frobisher Hotel)," said Aglukkaq.

She explained that the problems with the flight in July from Cambridge Bay were because "it was a casual clerk and things fell through the cracks."

Helen Himiak, one of the passengers on the Kugluktuk flight, says the problems started before they even hit the ground in the capital.

The group arrived at the Kugluktuk airport Sunday, Sept. 11, at 8:30 a.m. and the plane departed at 9:30 a.m. There was no meal on board the five-hour flight, just snacks and junk food.

When the flight landed at 4:30 p.m., the parental escorts were faced with children who were restless from being on a plane all day, and full of sugar.

"They were restless, noisy, and hungry. The last hour and a half (of the flight) was pretty awful," said Himiak.

The group looked around for the escorts, but they were nowhere to be found.

"We sat there for half an hour and then we paid for our own cabs (to the Frobisher Hotel). We were all expecting someone to meet us," said Himiak.

"It's really awful for people visiting here for the first time. They don't know where to go or who to contact," said Himiak. With one visit to the capital under her belt, she was the veteran of her group.

You only have to look to Sarah Algiak to see how scary it was. Algiak joined Himiak at the Nunavut News/North offices last Tuesday. It was her first visit to Iqaluit and the soft-spoken woman was almost silent.

When asked questions, she answered in so soft a voice that is was barely audible. She did say that she "was scared."

The irony of a flight full of dental patients with nothing to eat but junk food isn't lost on Aglukkaq.

"The eventual goal is to protect children from getting tooth decay. First Air had arranged meals, but through an error, the meals were not on the flight," said Aglukkaq.

These dental flights will continue. According to Aglukkaq, there is an eight-month waiting list for dental services in Yellowknife, which she says is too long.

"Most likely we will (continue the flights). We are trying to provide expedient services," said Aglukkaq.

There may have to be another flight from Kugluktuk.

Three of the children scheduled for surgery didn't get it done because colds or other medical issues prevented the surgery from taking place.