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MLAs blast minister over ICU closure

Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (June 17/02) - Under pressure from MLAs, territorial Health Minister Michael Miltenberger stood his ground on health-care wages last week.

Great Slave MLA Bill Braden led the charge against Miltenberger over the pending summer closure of the territories' only intensive care unit, at Stanton Regional Hospital.

Braden said he cannot understand why the NWT still faces doctor shortages, especially upon hearing the Yukon had just recently increased its funding for physicians by 43 per cent.

Miltenberger insisted the NWT was still competitive when it comes to attracting health-care professionals.

He said that the territory remains within the "top 10 per cent" when it comes to nurses' wages, and disagreed with a NWT Medical Association report calling for the territory to hire another 25 or 30 doctors. He figured the NWT could do fine with another nine.

Regardless, Braden said he doesn't believe Miltenberger has a full grasp of the situation.

"I guess what I'm looking for is more of a recognition from the minister that we do have some serious ongoing problems," said Braden.

"A lot of them are out of our control, but some of them are systematic within our own government."