Iqaluit (Apr 28/03) - The first of the regional health centres being built in Nunavut should come on stream in 2005.

Nearly six years following the dissolution of the Nunavut regional health boards the new centres could mean the revival of a remnant of those old government bodies.

Deputy minister of health Anne Crawford said a territorially focused health foundation is in the tentative planning stages.

The foundation would be a medium through which health centres in the territory could raise funds for specialty equipment.

For example, when the Baffin Regional Health Centre was donated a pediatric ventilator by Northern Property Real Estate Investment Trust, it could have been facilitated through a health foundation.

The idea is not unique.

"Most hospitals have health foundations," explains Crawford.

The City of Yellowknife has the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation, which has demonstrated enormous success. Over the past four years that particular foundation has generated nearly $4 million to purchase speciality hospital equipment.

Crawford said in the past the Baffin foundation was much more modest in its approach because of a smaller fundraising base.

However, she believes the new centres would encourage contributions and increased economic development could mean more potential corporate donors. As well, instead of focusing solely on needs of the Baffin region, the new foundation would be more territorially focused.

"You'd want something that looks at the needs of all of Nunavut and not just on one area," said Crawford.

Setting up a foundation is easy, according to Crawford. All you need is a few trustees and terms of trust.

Still, in the planning stages a concrete needs list of equipment that the territory may fundraise for has not been developed. Crawford said she suspects, however, that equipment needs in nursing stations would be the first priority.

The first health centre expected to be completed is the Kivalliq followed by the Kitikmeot and then the Baffin.