Yellowknife (Feb 17/03) - The NWT has the most health boards per capita compared to any jurisdiction in Canada.

The NWT currently has six boards, each serving about 6,833 residents compared to the next closest in size, which are Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.

PEI has five boards while Nunavut has none. Nunavut recently dissolved the three boards that did exist.

Similarly, the Yukon Territory does not have any health regions.

If the Department of Health decides to reinstate the recently dissolved Stanton board and create a proposed Sahtu regional board that will bring the total to eight.

There is some contention over whether or not the territory can afford to develop a board in the Sahtu.

Bootlake/Inuvik MLA Floyd Roland has been watching the situation closely and doesn't believe the territory should be funding an eighth administrative body.

"When we're having so much difficulty funding our health programs why would we look at funding more on the administration side," asked Roland.

Premier Stephen Kakfwi has lent his support publicly to the creation of a Sahtu health board.

In a letter written to the Inuvik Drum on Jan. 16, Kakfwi said the new board is being considered because of self-government talks that created a regional authority through the Inuvialuit and Gwitch'in.

"The GNWT is therefore working to reorganize administrative structures to ensure the effective delivery of health and social services in both regions," said Kakfwi.

The new board would serve the Sahtu communities of Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, Tulita, Deline and Colville Lake.

Roland argues that if it's an issue concerning self-government, it should not be paid for by the territory.

"Why isn't this part of the cost of self-government and thereby tacked onto the costs of the federal government, especially when we look at our financial side," said Roland.

"Our goal was to try and decrease the amount of boards we have. This is going in the reverse."

Currently, said Roland, services to the Sahtu region are handled out of Inuvik and Yellowknife and he believes those services have been adequate.

Roland said the GNWT needs to take a close look and not make any decisions that could negatively impact health care.

"Is it going to happen just so it can happen or is it going to happen because we can afford it," he said.

Health Minister Michael Miltenberger said that all new initiatives, including the development of a Sahtu health board, will be looked at closely.

"Money is tight across the board," said Miltenberger.

He added that creating a new board will cost money, but the exact figure has not been determined.

"We have a draft paper that has been done. We're getting close," he said.