The Nunavut Department of Health spent $92.5 million on insured medical travel in 2018-19, an increase of eight per cent from $85.5 million the previous year.

However, six per cent of medical travellers SA国际影视传媒� patients and escorts SA国际影视传媒� didn't show up for their flights. That amounted to 5,860 Nunavummiut who failed to board planes.

There were slightly more no-shows heading back to their home communities SA国际影视传媒� 55 per cent SA国际影视传媒� than those who didn't catch their flights heading south.

Health Minister George Hickes spoke about the hardships created by medical travel no-shows in the legislative assembly in November.

"It has been raised to me a couple of times from airline executives what a challenge that is when they are trying to schedule their flights and the amount of seats that are available on a plane, they may be turning away passengers because medical travel is a priority going to an appointment,SA国际影视传媒� said Hickes. SA国际影视传媒淭hey may be turning away passengers and then we have medical travel patients that do not show up. Those are seats the airline could have sold.SA国际影视传媒�

Patients sometimes experience their own difficulties with medical travel. One resident in the Qikiqtani region, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Nunavut News that he and a relative were only notified of an available medical flight as the aircraft was landing in their community. There wasn't near enough time to arrange for child care.

SA国际影视传媒淪o we cancelled the appointment,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Another Nunavummiuq who resides in the Kitikmeot and who also requested anonymity, said he recently had his health travel postponed three weeks due to SA国际影视传媒渘o room.SA国际影视传媒� He also urged all medical travellers and escorts to SA国际影视传媒渢riple checkSA国际影视传媒� their appointment times because he said he arrived in Yellowknife on a medical flight with an incorrect hour to show up for his consultation.

SA国际影视传媒淚t does get frustrating... normally it's all good, but something happened I donSA国际影视传媒檛 know what happened,SA国际影视传媒� he said of the ordeal.

The Department of Health stated that it's SA国际影视传媒渃ontinuously working toward improvements to medical travel service and operation through optimized central, regional and inter-agency communications, additional staff training and recruitment, and enhanced public education.SA国际影视传媒�