Arviat a model for hamlets
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Arviat (Apr 30/01) - The new health centre that opened here last week will serve as a model for other communities.
Nunavut health minister Ed Picco was among hundreds of people who attended the official opening of the new Arviat Health Centre.
The facility is an integrated centre with state-of-the-art equipment capable of joining the government's tele-health network.
Picco says the Arviat Health Centre will also house social service, mental health, alcohol and drug and other counselling services under one roof.
"That's the direction we're trying to take in Health and Social Services, to integrate those types of program-delivery areas under one roof to give us a more holistic approach to healing," said Picco.
"Having this new integrated facility bodes well for the hamlet of Arviat and it's the type of model we'd like to use in a number of other communities."
Plans are in the works which will see similar state-of-the-art health facilities constructed in Pond Inlet, Pangnirtung and Igloolik.
Picco said this centre helps address the need to improve health infrastructure around Nunavut.
He said although he wants to see change come quickly, each project must be carefully planned so communities receive the maximum benefit from new facilities.
"There's no doubt a number of the existing health centres in some communities are quite old.
"We're working diligently on that challenge and the new Arviat Health Centre is a sign of things to come."
