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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
According to statistics for a one-year period up to the end of March this year, people have failed to show up for thousands of medical appointments, including several hundred surgeries, at Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife and eye exams throughout the NWT.

That is only one indication of what the Department of Health and Social Services sees as a disturbing trend.

"I think the general apathy in the Northwest Territories is kind of disconcerting," said Damien Healy, the department's manager of planning and communications.

According to department figures, people have missed 4,537 appointments at Stanton Territorial Hospital Of that total, 321 were for surgeries.

"It's more common than people think," Healy said of missed surgeries.

When people don't show up for surgeries, it creates a financial strain on the healthcare system, he noted.

"It puts a big cost on the system when docs are idle," he said, explaining medical personnel and equipment are geared up for patients who don't show.

Doctors can do routine filing or follow-up with other patients, he noted.

"They'll find work to do, but it's not like a haircut where you just call someone and say, 'Hey, I got a vacancy. Come on over.'"

Healy said no-shows may indicate some people are hesitant to have operations, perhaps because they haven't been educated on what would happen during the surgery.

However, he said that can be fixed through a consultation.

Healy said, in other cases, people who don't show up seem to be saying they'll get to it when they get to it, and they are not really worried about their health.

Aside from failing to show up for appointments, Healy noted there are several other indicators of apathy, including people not responding to basic application requests after numerous reminders.

Earlier this year, the GNWT sent out letters asking people to fill out renewal applications for extended health benefits and Metis health benefits coverage.

As of Aug. 18, there has been a disappointing response from Metis and people with specified conditions.

"We're only seeing 36 per cent of people responding," Healy said.

"I think people have become complacent and just grown to rely on the health system to take care of them."

There was a much more impressive 80 per cent response by seniors to the request to submit application renewals.

Healy also said apathy can be seen in the continuing unhealthy choices people make, noting the government can only send out so many brochures advising people to avoid alcohol, not to smoke and not to be chronically obese.

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