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Health care costs across the country are on the rise and finding ways to rein in the spending while continuing to provide quality service has been a concern across the provinces. Here in the NWT, one-quarter of the GNWT's budget is funnelled into the health system, approximately $344 million or $8,000 per person.

Our spending represents a per capita expenditure nearly $3,000 more than the national average and approximately $1,800 per capita more than Alberta -- the highest spending province in Canada -- according to 2010 statistics put out by the Canadian Institute for Health Information.

Back in March, auditor general Sheila Fraser released an audit on the territory's health care system. Generally the review of our health delivery system was good but there were a number of recommendations directed at finding cost efficiencies.

Included was a recruitment and retention strategy to decrease the GNWT's reliance on locum doctors and agency nurses. In a previous editorial, we noted the health department's success on the nursing front. Although permanent staffing in the communities continues to be an issue, the department is saving money on agency fees by maintaining its own list of contract nurses and Aurora College grads are filling long-standing vacancies in Yellowknife.

However, Fraser recommended a more comprehensive recruitment and retention strategy which the GNWT, at the time, said it is working on. Fraser noted that in 2004 the GNWT identified a strong Northern-based workforce in the health sector as a major goal. Unfortunately, when the strategy expired in 2009, progress toward that goal was neither assessed for success nor was a new strategy developed. It is vital the department remain vigilant in terms of finding ways to replace temporary staff with permanent health care professionals for major cost savings.

Health authorities are another area where cost savings might be found. Fraser's report determined the funding formula to the eight health authorities was outdated and failed to consider performance and patient flow, which in turn caused regional deficits. Such deficits were the cause of the dissolution of the Beaufort Delta District Health Authority and part of the catalyst for a proposal to re-organize the board structure, effectively eliminating regional health boards.

That proposal met with protest from most of the regions - mainly because education, housing and social service boards were thrown into the mix - as people fought to maintain their regional representation. Maintaining a regional voice is essential in the NWT but a necessary compromise may be a single territorial health board with strong regional representation. In health, the larger the population, the more expensive services can be offered.

By using Stanton Territorial Hospital as the administrative hub, savings realized by centralization can be put into recruiting specialists and developing medical services now only available in Edmonton.

This is especially critical because medical travel and medevacs are a horrendous drain on health funding. Currently, the GNWT is evaluating its medical travel policies and part of its newest health strategy identifies ways to support community health centres with remote diagnostic services to help reduce the number of people flown out for treatment.

As vital as it is for the department to find cost savings, there are many future priorities that will need investment to ensure we improve the quality of health in a region where diabetes, obesity and addictions continue to plague our people at alarming rates.

The department has identified a territorial midwifery program as a goal in its latest strategic plan and Fraser recommended improving the territory's delivery of diabetes education and treatment programs.

Our next health minister will begin the 17th legislative assembly with a full plate. We will need a strong leader who can balance investment with cost savings and one who understands that spending money for effective education and programming will lead to cost savings down the road.

Our next health minister will also need to be conscious of the fact that regional decisions can't be dictated from Yellowknife and major changes will need to come after consultation at the local level.

The last assembly under Sandy Lee was marred by protest after protest. Ill-proposed board mergers and a supplementary health benefit package that failed to gain the support of the public overshadowed many of the successes the department achieved.

Sometimes figures do tell the story: $4,460 is what the federal government spends for every francophone in Canada while a measly $53.71 is set aside for each Inuit language speaker.

That's a huge disparity, one that Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. president Cathy Towtongie pointed out following the release of the land claim organization's annual report on the state of the Inuit culture and society earlier this month.

Recommendations from the document include the perennial directive to "use the language at home." There's a reason this keeps arising: it would truly make a difference and it's cost-free. It's up to parents and grandparents to make it happen.

Another recommendation is to make the language interesting for children. That is most likely to be accomplished through high-tech gizmos and gadgets, video games and CDs, although books will always be a mainstay. This, however, will take money.

The figures Towtongie mentioned show Ottawa should be pumping more money into Inuit language. One other way increased funding could be put to good use is to make the Inuit language free for businesses. If we want to see Inuktitut - which should be standardized for consistency - in more places, the government should subsidize it so businesses will adopt it without hesitation. Then it would appear in signage, pamphlets and contracts much more often.

This is not to suggest translators should be paid less. On the contrary, they should be richly rewarded for providing a valuable service.

We hope more translators will emerge from Nunavut Arctic College to help another generation of Nunavummiut grasp the language. While 91 per cent of territorial residents are able to speak an Inuit tongue, that number will slide unless we follow these critical steps.

While Nunavut politicians and cultural leaders are calling for greater measures to preserve Inuit language and culture, the federal government has at least made a small step in the right direction - it's given money to an organization with a proven track record and a mandate to keep culture and language alive.

The Inuit Broadcasting Corp. received $1.38 million - 50 per cent of its operating budget - from the feds two weeks ago, and it's about time.

The corporation has been airing Inuit programming since 1982, mostly on a shoestring budget, and has persevered.

One program in particular, Takuginai - a show for children that mixes cultural values and Inuktitut lessons with entertainment - is an example of the type of programming vital to keeping culture alive. The channel has five programs entirely in Inuktitut.

In addition, the corporation has offered workshops and courses to teach youth about filmmaking and broadcasting.

After close to 30 years of existence, here's to at least 30 more.

The Northwest Territories has long been regarded as the weak sister when it comes to tourism.

The Yukon has the Klondike and can-can dancers; Nunavut its inukshuks and igloos. Tourism operators in the NWT have gamely tried to sell northern lights and fishing trips, but competition for aurora tourism is fierce among Northern jurisdictions. And despite our many water bodies teeming with fish, a new crop of anglers to replace their aging grandpas and dads heading to fishing lodges hasn't materialized.

The cancellation of the caribou sport hunt last year put another huge dent in the NWT's tourism market.

But there is one ace up its sleeve that could provide the NWT with a real drawing card - its aboriginal people and their culture. In an increasingly urbanized world people are looking for outdoor tourism opportunities, but with an experienced and knowledgeable hand to guide them through their experience.

Bobby Drygeese, a Ndilo resident and owner of new business B. Dene Adventures aims to provide that experience.

His recently-erected 20-by-40-foot cabin, accompanied by tents and tipis that accommodate up to 50 people, is a one-minute snowmobile ride across Yellowknife Bay.

From there he'll initiate tourists with hunting trips, fishing, handgames, and lessons on language and history of the Dene people.

That ought to be a thrill to some city slickers tired of the usual and not very authentic tourist trap fare one might find in Banff or Dawson City.

Joe Bailey, owner of North Star Adventures, which boasts "50,000 years of experience," operates a similar company out of Yellowknife.

Many Dene people express concerns over mining and other resource development activities; tourism provides a means of earning money without harming the environment.

There are plenty of opportunities out there. They just need to be exploited.

Any time there is a medical breakthrough, it is a reason to celebrate. Two weeks ago at Stanton Territorial Hospital, a clot-busting treatment was administered for the first time in the NWT.

The man, who is between the ages of 55 and 65, was suffering from a stroke. After the treatment, called Thrombolysis, the patient made a miraculous recovery - being able to walk and talk and will most likely be heading back to work after some rehabilitation.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, for every minute of delay in treating a stroke, the average patient loses 1.9 million brain cells, and for every hour where treatment does not occur, the brain loses as many neurons as it does in almost 3.6 years of normal aging.

For the clot-busting drug to be of any use, it has to be given to the patient within six hours after signs of a stroke appear. A certain combination of staff must be present during the procedure as well, including a radiologist, an internal medicine team and constant co-ordination with the stroke unit team in Edmonton.

The NWT is dependent on southern sources for so much when it comes to health, namely Edmonton's emergency units.

Time is of the essence in all medical circumstances, not just strokes, so the addition of any medical service or treatment to the North is welcome news.

Last week was Fire Prevention Week across Canada.

To mark the occasion, I was lucky enough to visit the fire hall in Fort Simpson to watch four-year-old children get a hands-on tour of what firefighters in the Deh Cho do.

The students from the Open Doors Society laughed as they tried on boots 10 sizes too big and monkeyed around inside a fire truck. The visit was fun and the class left with huge smiles on their faces.

Up in Inuvik, my colleague has the unlucky task of covering the week from a completely different angle.

On Sunday morning, at around 6:30 a.m., a fire broke out at a family's home with a two-year-old girl still inside.

Two RCMP officers, who were the first on the scene, ran inside and found her. They rushed her to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the tragedy underscores the fact that fires are dangerous, deadly and the public should know every way possible to prevent them. On average, eight Canadians die from fires every week, according to Fire Prevention Canada, a national organization that aims to raise awareness of fire prevention and safety. It is up to Deh Cho residents to educate themselves so that tragedy doesn't strike in their homes.

Every family should install at least one smoke alarm on every floor of their house and test it monthly to make sure it works.

Stoves, ovens and microwaves should never be left unattended. Candles and cigarettes should be put out completely and disposed of safely. Families should make sure they aren't overloading electrical outlets and gasoline should never be stored indoors.

Yards should be kept clear of trash and flammables, to deter arson, and curtains and furniture should be kept at least one metre away from heaters, stoves and fireplaces.

Matches and lighters should be hidden from children and, perhaps most importantly, every family should have a fire escape plan.

Approximately three out of every four deaths from fire occur at home, so knowing what to do in case of a fire is critical.

Being prepared can make the difference between life and death when you have just a split second to react.

Get together with your family and draw up a floor plan of your house or apartment. Where are the exits? Where is a safe meeting place on your property?

Make sure your children know what the fire alarm sounds like, and that it's important to get up and get out at the first signs of a fire. Practise a fire drill at night, because that's when fires are most likely to occur.

Sleep with your doors closed, to prevent the quick spread of a fire, and purchase a fire extinguisher for your home. If a family member is unable to evacuate without assistance, make sure there is a plan to help them get out safely.

These precautions might seem a bit over the top, but you can never be too prepared.

It is extremely sad that Fire Prevention Awareness Week ended with a tragedy in Inuvik.

A two-year-old child died in a house fire on the early morning of Oct. 16. There's no way that parents and families can explain the pain that must be causing them in the days after the tragedy. To lose someone at any age is hard, but at age two, it is truly tragic.

But out of this disaster rises an incident of heroism. At least six other people were in the house at the time and one of them saved an 11-month-old baby. This tragedy could have been multiplied if that child had not made it out either. The one who saved the baby? A 12-year-old boy. He risked his own life to save his sibling and both survived. He deserves any and all recognition for his courageous actions.

Coun. Vince Sharpe, a former firefighter and a recipient of national awards for bravery, has asked Inuvik Town Council to nominate the boy for not one award, but three different awards: the Commonwealth Bravery Award, the Commissioner's Award for Bravery and the Governor General Medal of Bravery.

The boy has truly proved himself as a courageous and selfless individual.

At the tail end of Fire Prevention Awareness Week, it's a reminder to be prepared and have plans in place to ensure all family members escape if a fire occurs in your home. The theme for 2011 is to protect your family from fire.

At the top of the list for ways to protect your family from such disasters is to check the fire alarm in your home. Make sure it has batteries and that they are working. Fire marshals suggest having one alarm outside each sleeping area and that batteries are replaced once a year, while alarms are replaced every 10 years.

Plan an escape route with your family and let everyone know the ways to get out. Be sure to practise the route so people know how to escape. In your plan, be sure to include a designated meeting place for after a fire so family members can congregate and figure out if anyone else needs assistance. Make sure to practise the plan at night, which is when most fatalities from fires happen.

During a fire, call out to make sure everyone in the house is awake and safely out. Call for help from a neighbour's house.

Statistics show that of all deaths from fire, 78 per cent happen in the home, with most fatalities occurring between 2 and 4 a.m.

Take the time to ensure your own family has a plan. The town doesn't need another fatality from fire.

Recent stories on the loan dispute Yellowknife businessman Daryl Dolynny is having with the Business Development and Investment Corporation would have been less newsworthy if he had not been running for public office.

He was running and the money he and his partners received belongs to the people of the NWT, so it is a legitimate public issue.

Media reports during the election campaign upset Dolynny to the point he felt victimized, as if mention of the loan and the BDIC lawsuit reflected badly on him.

In his own words, and we agree, Dolynny and his partners in Aurora World Corporation made a valiant effort to resurrect a tourism company that once was the jewel of the town and greatly enhanced our image and economy. While he and his partners hoped for handsome profits, all Yellowknifers would have benefited from the success of the business, as we had when entrepreneur extraordinaire Bill Tait and Raven Tours were riding high on huge numbers of Japanese tourists in the 1990s.

However, the consequences of the venture failing rested squarely on the shoulders of the Aurora World partners. That they are being sued by the BDIC and are fighting back is no different than fighting a parking ticket. It's their right and now the courts will decide who owes what.

No shame there.

The day after being elected Range Lake MLA, Dolynny offered a questionable deal to the BDIC that he hoped would have made the lawsuit go away. It was a poorly conceived idea involving accusations against a BDIC employee which was immediately rejected in writing by CEO Pawan Chugh, appropriately enough with carbon copies to Justice Minister Jackson Lafferty and the BDIC Minister Bob McLeod.

Dolynny insists he did nothing wrong because although an elected MLA, he has not been sworn in. Minister McLeod agrees.

As a businessman, Dolynny is right, he did nothing wrong. As a politician, that's a different story. Sworn in or not, Dolynny clearly put his self-interest ahead of good government. Imagine the damage to the integrity of the BDIC had it even considered the deal.

Then there is the broader issue of the GNWT's affirmative action policy. Dolynny's plan was designed to help stop a legal challenge to a preferential hiring policy that puts non-aboriginal people, many of whom live in his Range Lake riding, at a disadvantage. Is that why they elected him?

Yellowknifer asked Dolynny his views on the affirmative action policy. He replied he had no position on it.

So in one rash move, Dolynny reveals a lack of understanding of BDIC ethics, the affirmative action policy and good government.

He may blame the media for his troubles, accusing reporters and editors of only looking for dirt on honest politicians. He's right, the media is obsessed with scrutinizing government and politics. That's exactly what Yellowknifer was doing when we published a story dated Friday, July 9, 2010, quoting Daryl Dolynny, president of the NWT Pharmaceutical Association, complaining that the Department of Health and Social Services should have given pharmacists a heads up before putting on hold all faxing of health records - including prescriptions, which he said hurt patients. That's the role of the media and we will continue to perform it.

The fallout from Dolynny's misguided proposal raises one other question: when Minister McLeod found no fault in Dolynny's approach, was he thinking of good government?

Or was he thinking of the votes he needs to achieve his own goal of becoming premier? We'll leave that to the voters to decide.

It's one of our region's dirty little secrets, and it's time more people start speaking up to demand action to help protect those among us who are most vulnerable -- and the majority of whom deserve our deepest respect.

The horror stories being whispered around Kivalliq communities on elder abuse are reaching epidemic proportions.

There are stories of elders being bullied in their own homes, having their bank accounts looted and cash stolen from them, being forced to look after kids on their own for days at a time when their health no longer permits them to do it well (and their hearts break because they know it), and who have everything from food, hunting and fishing gear, and household items "borrowed" from them and never returned.

And, at the risk of offending non-smokers everywhere, still others who have their tobacco and cigarettes taken from them, forcing them to put even more on charge accounts they cannot afford to begin with.

Even more heartbreaking is how much of the abuse is being perpetrated by people close to these elders, often their family members.

Small steps were taken in Rankin Inlet this past week with the formation of an elder's committee to address the abuse issue and other issues of concern to our eldest citizens.

Hopefully, the committee -- and those that follow in other communities -- will have a voice loud and strong enough to be heard by the powers that be.

Still it's maddening to know not only does this problem exist, but it's becoming more common every year in some communities.

So much money, time and effort is spent addressing so many other issues today -- many of which pale in comparison to the abuse of those who should be looked upon as our most valued citizens -- it's almost inconceivable a growing number of our elders are suffering while these deplorable acts continue, for the most part, to fly under the radar.

Starting legitimate elder committees and ensuring what they have to say is taken seriously is a good first step in addressing this heinous problem.

But elders can't do it alone.

It's imperative for our government, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., regional Inuit associations, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to put their collective weight behind them to produce any level of significant results.

Anyone can stand in front of a microphone or a TV camera and talk about how important elders are to our communities and, in fact, Inuit culture itself.

But sometimes talking and posturing for votes has to end, and action must begin.

Surely, if our elders are that important to us, and a growing number of them are suffering at the hands of others, our leaders can put their collective minds together and come up with a way to address the issue.

It's a sad commentary on our society when some among us choose to abuse and take advantage of those in our communities least able to defend themselves.

And it's even more sad when our leaders sit on the sidelines and do nothing more than talk about the problem, when they even acknowledge it at all.

Surely, we owe our elders more than words.

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