RANKIN INLET - While Nunavut is improving in a number of areas of health care, it still has a long way to go, according to a recent report by the Health Council of Canada.

The council was established in September 2003 with a primary role of reporting to Canadians on theimplementation of the initiatives listed in the 2003 First Ministers Health Accord.

Clerk-interpreter Annie Curley works on a file at the Kivalliq Regional Health Centre in Rankin Inlet this past week. A recent report by the Health Council of Canada suggests Nunavut is making progress in some areas of health services. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Jose Kusugak of Rankin Inlet is the Arctic's sole voice on the council.

Kusugak said in order for the council to be effective, provinces and territories must give a full account of how they're spending tax dollars and show their best practices.

He said Nunavut can improve its reporting by having the deputy minister of health join the council.

"The council has been asking the Nunavut government to make sure he attends," said Kusugak.

"If the Nunavut government wants to do its part, it has to send its deputy minister to these meetings.

"The previous deputy minister (Bernie Blais) was quite good in attending and giving input, but that changed when he left the department.

"I will be travelling to Iqaluit shortly to meet with government officials, and I plan to impress upon the deputy minister the importance of attending council meetings."

The council reported that Nunavut is optimizing the use of available health-care providers to meet its accord commitments for short-term provision of targeted home-care services.

Nunavut is also developing a computer network for e-prescribing that it expects to be fully operational in 18 to 24 months.

The system will gather information and analysis with respect to drug usage and appropriate treatment.

The council also reports that Nunavut is using the Territorial Health Access Fund for strategic investments in training to increase the number of health and social service workers and improve access to services.

Kusugak said the council was impressed with a number of programs that were implemented to promote healthy living, including the Drop the Pop campaign and Hip Hop in the Communities.

He said Nunavut has also seen improvement with the teaching of nurses through Nunavut Arctic College.

"We have a couple of Inuit nurses in Rankin, one in Arviat and more graduating this coming June," he said.

"But, we're still spending millions and millions on medical travel.

"That's an awful lot of money to spend without a dime going on treatment, so there has to be an emphasis on e-prescribing and diagnosis.

"But the only way we're going to know if the 18-month target date is realistic, is if the deputy minister attends council meetings."

Kusugak said the council is the only body that can really do something to ensure every province and territory is making the best use of its tax dollars to deliver health services.

But, he said, it's relying on a poor reporting system.

"Everybody seems to support public health over a private health-care system.

"So, if that's the case, it's in everybody's best interest for our money to be used in the best way possible so we don't waste what little we have."

Kusugak said when wait times for patients was a top priority identified by premiers, he pushed council members to visit Nunavut to see how expensive living in the Arctic really is.

He said he got them to visit Iqaluit about two years ago, with half going on to Kimmirut and the others to Pangnirtung.

"It was the only way they could truly appreciate why we spend so much on travel before we ever see a doctor," he said.

"They also heard many people say they had considered getting their children out to become health professionals, but weren't sure how to go about it.

"When council members heard that, they began talking about how to get Inuit into the health profession.

"Then, when the prime minister and the premiers decided it was important, they put quite a bit of money towards developing health professionals, which was a great initiative that started through grassroots discussions."