Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Feb 20/02) - A lot of eyes will be on Minister of Health and Social Services Michael Miltenberger as the legislative assembly returns to session this week.

The minister said he will push the assembly for the implementation of his three-year health and social services action plan, unveiled earlier this month.

The action plan promises to tackle a number of issues affecting health care, such as recruitment and retention of health professionals, administrative overlapping, and addictions and disease prevention.

"From a health point of view, I'm going to be picking up the action plan, at least for about a month," said Miltenberger.

Miltenberger also said he will try to amend the Family Law and Adoption Acts in order to comply with federal legislation.

The changes would extend the same legal rights to same-sex couples as they do for opposite-sex common-law relationships, such as the right to seek spousal support and adopt children.

"The intent is to bring it in, and work with the committees to bring some closure to it," said Miltenberger.

Another area of concern for Miltenberger is the ongoing negotiations with the Alberta government over medical travel expenses.

The Alberta government is currently contemplating increasing health-care premiums, which in turn, would trickle down to the NWT.

"We anticipate, as we negotiate, that there will be increased costs," said Miltenberger.

Doctors optimistic

Overall, physicians are guardedly optimistic about the direction Miltenberger is taking, said NWT Medical Association president Dr. Ken Seethram, but they would like to see the government's purse strings opened even further.

The government's ability to recruit and retain doctors has been a consuming issue for several years.

Seethram points out that, while the NWT spends 24 per cent of its annual budget on health care, Ontario spends approximately 40 per cent.

"It's not deciding whom and how many you need, but how to get them," said Seethram.

The NWT Registered Nurses Association, on the other hand, is feeling much more confident about the minister's ability to deliver.

Association president Sylvia Stard said the minister's action plan will simplify the way nurses are recruited in the NWT.

The plan calls for a normalization of recruitment practices between the NWT's eight health and social services boards, making it easier for nurses to transfer from one region to the next, and will make it easier for the government to monitor where services are most needed.

"It seems to be a well coordinated system," said Stard.

"People will be employed by one employer, the GNWT."