ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᓴᓇᔭᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ 2000-ᒥ, ᓄᓇᓕᒃ 1,899-ᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᖃᖅᑎᒋᑎᓪᓗᒍ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒥᓂᔅᑕ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᔮᓐ ᒪᐃᓐ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᖕᒥ ᔫᓐ 3-ᒥ.
ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒋᑦ 2020-ᒥ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓈᓴᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᖅᓯᒪᓂᖏᑦ, ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ ᐃᓄᖃᓕᖅᑐᖅ 2,918−ᓂᒃ.
“ᑕᒡᕙ ᐃᓱᒫᓘᑎᒋᖃᑕᐅᔭᕋ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᐅᑉᓗᖓ ᐃᓂᖃᙱᓗᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᓂᖅ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᐃᓐ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑎᒍᑦ.
ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ ᓂᒋᐊᓂ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᖅᑎ ᔫ ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ ᐊᐱᖅᓱᓚᐅᖅᑐᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᖓᓄᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᓐᓇᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᓚᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᓇᔭᕐᒪᖔᑦ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᓴᓇᓗᑎᒃ ᓄᑖᒥᒃ.
“ᖃᐅᔨᒪᒐᒪ ᒥᓂᔅᑕᐅᔪᖅ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᖕᒪᑦ, ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ ᐃᓂᖃᙱᓗᐊᕐᒪᑦ, ᐃᓗᐃᑦᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᙱᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᖅ ᐱᔨᑦᓯᕋᑦᑎᐊᕈᒪᒐᓗᐊᖅᖢᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᑕᖃᙱᖦᖢᓂ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᕐᕕᖕᒥᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᖃᓄᐃᑦᑐᓂᒃ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓂᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᑐᓂ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᓄᑦ ᐅᕝᕙᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᒥᑭᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑦ.
ᒪᐃᓐ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᒡᒎᖅ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᖏᑦ ᑕᒪᑐᒥᙵ ᑕᑯᒋᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐱᒡᒍᓴᐅᔾᔪᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑕᐃᒪᐅᖕᒪᑕ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᖑᔭᕆᐊᓕᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑮᓇᐅᔭᑦ ᑐᓗᖅᑕᕈᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑕ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ.
ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃ ᖁᑦᑎᒃᑐᒦᒻᒪᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᖁᐊᔭᕐᓇᖅᓯᕙᒃᖢᓂ ᐅᑭᐅᒃᑯᑦ, ᑎᒥᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᔪᕈᑎᓖᑦ ᐃᑎᕈᓐᓇᐃᓪᓕᕙᒃᖢᑎᒃ.
“ᐃᒪᓐᓇᐃᒐᔪᒃᑐᑦ ᑎᒥᒥᒍᑦ ᐊᔪᕈᑎᓖᑦ ᒪᐅᔭᕋᕐᓇᖅᑐᒃᑯᑦ ᐊᔪᓕᓲᑦ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑦ.
ᐊᐱᕆᑉᓗᓂᓗ ᐊᖏᓂᖓ ᐃᓚᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᒃᐸᑦ, ᐃᓱᒪᒃᓴᖅᓯᐅᕈᑎᖃᕋᔭᕐᒪᖔᑕ ᐃᕐᓂᓱᒃᓰᕝᕕᒃᑖᕈᓐᓇᖁᑉᓗᒍ.
“ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔪᖓ ᓄᑕᖅᑭᐅᕐᓂᖅᓴᒻᒪᕆᐊᓘᖕᒪᑕ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ ᓲᕐᓗ ᑲᖏᖅᖠᓂᕐᒥᐅᖓᓂ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑦ.
ᒪᐃᓐ ᑭᐅᑉᓗᓂ, “ᐸᕐᓇᐃᓇᔭᖅᑐᒍᑦ ᐊᖏᓪᓕᒋᐊᖁᓗᒍ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᒋᐊᖅᑕᐅᖁᓚᐅᖅᑕᖅᐴᒐᓗᐊᖅ ᐃᕐᓂᓱᒃᓰᕝᕕᖃᖁᑉᓗᒍ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᖏᖅᑕᐅᓚᐅᙱᒻᒪᑦ.”
ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕ, ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂᓗ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᖕᒪᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᒃᑯᓐᓄᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ “ᒪᓕᒃᖢᒍ ᓄᓇᓕᐅᑉ ᐊᖏᓂᖓ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᕐᓂᐊᖑᔪᑦ ᐊᒥᓲᖃᑦᑕᖅᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦ ᐊᕐᕕᐊᓂ, ᐃᓱᒪᓇᕋᔭᖅᑐᖅ ᐃᕐᓂᓱᒃᓰᕝᕕᒃᑖᕆᐊᖃᕋᔭᕐᓂᖓᓄᑦ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᓕᐅᕐᓂᐊᕐᓂᖅ ᑲᔪᓯᓐᓂᖅᐸᑦ.”
ᓴᕕᑲᑖᖅ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᑕᑯᒃᑲᓐᓂᕈᒪᔪᕉᖅ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓴᐃᔨᖃᖁᓕᖅᖢᒍ ᓄᓇᓕᒃ.
“ᑐᑭᓯᐅᒪᔭᒃᑯᑦ, ᐊᕐᕕᐊᑦ ᑎᑭᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᒪᑦ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᓄᑦ ᑎᑭᓯᒪᓚᐅᐱᓪᓚᖕᓂᐊᖅᑐᓂᒃ, ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑑᑕᐅᓲᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒪᓕᒃᐸᒃᖢᑎᒃ ᐃᓄᒋᐊᖕᓂᖏᓐᓂᒃ,” ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ ᒪᐃᓐ ᑐᓵᔨᒃᑯᑦ. “ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᒡᕙ ᓅᑲᑕᒃᑎᑉᐸᒃᑕᖅᐳᑦ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᖅᐳᑦ. ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᖏᑦᑕ ᐊᒥᓲᓂᖏᑦ ᓈᒻᒪᓲᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᓚᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᓖᑦ ᓄᒃᑎᑲᑕᒃᐸᒃᑐᓂᒃ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᖃᓲᑦ. ᓇᔭᙳᐊᓂᒃ ᑲᒪᔨᓂᒃ ᖃᐅᔨᒋᐊᖃᑦᑕᕐᒥᔪᒍᑦ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᕆᓗᐊᕈᓐᓇᙱᑕᕋ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ, ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᑐᖓ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔩ, ᓄᑖᒥᒃ ᐊᖏᓂᖅᓴᒥᒃ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃᑖᕈᓐᓇᕈᑉᑕ ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᑦᑎᐊᖅᑕᖅᐳᑦ.”
ᐃᓂᖃᑦᑎᐊᓕᕐᓗᑕ ᐊᖏᓪᓕᕚᓕᖅᓯᒪᓕᕐᓗᓂ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᕐᕕᒃᐳᑦ ᐊᓯᔾᔨᑲᑕᓗᐊᖃᑦᑕᕈᓐᓃᕋᔭᖅᑐᑦ ᓇᔭᙳᐊᕆᔭᖅᐳᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑎᑭᑦᑐᓐᓇᖃᑦᑕᓕᕐᓗᓂ ᐃᖢᐊᖅᓴᐃᔨᓂᒃ ᐊᓯᖏᓐᓂᒡᓗ ᐋᓐᓂᐊᖃᕐᓇᙱᑦᑐᓕᕆᔨᐅᔪᓂᒃ, ᑕᐃᒪᓐᓇ ᐅᖃᖅᖢᓂ.
Arviat’s health centre was built in 2000, back when the community had a population of around 1,899, said Minister of Health John Main in the legislative assembly June 3.
According to the 2020 census, the current population of Arviat is 2,918.
“This is one of my concerns as a minister with the lack of space,” said Main through interpretation.
Arviat South MLA Joe Savikataaq posed questions to the health minister about options to expand the current health centre or build a new one.
“As I know the minister is aware, the health centre in Arviat lacks enough space, is entirely inadequate to provide proper services and lacks the diagnostic rooms for each nurse or they are too small,” said Savikataaq through interpretation.
Main said the Department of Health is looking into this but that there are competing responsibilities and the budget is an obstacle at the moment.
Savikataaq mentioned that the facility is in a high area and gets slippery in winter, making it difficult to access for people who are disabled.
“Oftentimes people who are disabled have problems trudging the snow,” he said through interpretation.
He went on to ask if the building size were increased, if there would be consideration given to having a birthing centre included.
“As I know, there are more children being born in Arviat compared to the community of Rankin Inlet,” said Savikataaq through interpretation.
Main replied, “The plan would be to have an increase in size, and we tried to include a birthing centre to be approved but it was not approved.”
However, he went on to say through interpretation that this was an area recognized by the department and “due to the size of the community with the rates of births in Arviat, you would think a birthing centre would be included if the project did proceed.”
Savikataaq said he hopes to see an increase in nurses and to have a physician in place in the community.
“As far as I understand it, Arviat has nurses that come in for a time, and (it) varies in each community and it’s based on the population,” said Main through interpretation. “That is how we distribute our nurses. Some communities have an adequate number of nurses and some communities have transient nurses. We also look to agencies, but I cannot really speak to that at the moment, but what I can say, Mr. Speaker, is a new or larger health centre is something we support.”
Having adequate space with an expanded health centre would assist with retaining and bringing on additional healthcare professionals, he said.
