N.W.T.'s wellness curate says that a emergence successful tourism is putting much strain connected the aesculapian question system. The Keskorie aesculapian boarding location successful Yellowknife is afloat close now, on with metropolis hotels, leaving immoderate aesculapian question patients with obscurity to stay.
Health curate urges patients to propulsion backmost immoderate non-urgent aesculapian question arsenic boarding home, hotels each full
Natalie Pressman · CBC News
· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 6
The Keskorie aesculapian boarding location successful Yellowknife, on with each the city's hotels, are presently booked up — and that's leaving some medical patients without accommodations.
Inuvik MLA Denny Rodgers said that's making the accent of aesculapian question each the much taxing arsenic patients from different communities get for doc and dentist appointments successful the superior lone to recognize they person obscurity to stay.
"These individuals, galore of whom are elders, families with young children, oregon radical facing superior wellness concerns, are already nether tremendous accent owed to their aesculapian needs," Rodgers said successful the legislature Wednesday.
He said residents tin sometimes hold months for their appointments, and rescheduling oregon cancelling can have superior consequences for their wellness and well-being.
Health Minister Lesa Semmler said a emergence successful tourism is putting further unit connected an already-strained accommodation strategy successful the city.
She said her section is moving to find a solution. For now, she's asking radical with non-urgent medical appointments to propulsion them backmost oregon publication elsewhere.
"It's outpouring break, if you're traveling, possibly rebook your appointments successful places wherever you're traveling to," she said.
Semmler said her squad is considering "securing" edifice rooms each time to clasp for unexpected diligent arrivals oregon discharges from the hospital.
"NTHSSA [Northwest Territories Health and Social Service Authority] is besides trying to usage different contingency services to accommodate the overflow," she said.
Semmler said unit are moving connected a communications program to pass patients of the deficiency of places for them to stay. Once that's acceptable she says she'll stock it with MLAs and connected her societal media.