By the end of March, 100 people in the GNWTSA国际影视传媒檚 health department will have completed cultural safety training, said Health Minister Glen Abernethy in the legislative assembly on Jan. 16.

SA国际影视传媒淩elationship based care is a priority,SA国际影视传媒� said Health Minister Glen Abernethy. SA国际影视传媒淐lients want mutually respectful and trusting relationships with their provider.SA国际影视传媒�

The mandatory cultural safety training for all health care workers was implemented after an external investigation into the death of Hugh Papik, a 68-year-old Inuvialuit man who died after a stroke in 2016 when staff at the Aklavik Health Centre thought he was drunk.

Following his death, Manitoba physician Marlyn Cook gave 16 recommendations to the GNWT to combat racism in the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 health care system.

The health department used the recommendations to create a plan to improve the health and social services for Indigenous clients.

The department is also developing human resources strategies to increase the number of Indigenous people in the workforce.

Discrimination in plain view

Tu Nedh茅-Wiilideh MLA Tom Beaulieu commended the changes as SA国际影视传媒減ositiveSA国际影视传媒� and recalled his own experiences with discrimination while he was the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 health minister.

While visiting the Yellowknife Primary Care Clinic, the receptionist was SA国际影视传媒渟hort, curt and very rude to me for absolutely no other reason than me showing up as an Aboriginal person,SA国际影视传媒� said Beaulieu.

SA国际影视传媒淚 found that to be quite an experience because I was the minister of health at that time,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 was surprised and shocked and believe many of the stories that have been told since then. I have heard many stories about the attitudes the health workers have towards Indigenous people that I represent. It seems like such a simple thing but it's so huge for Aboriginal people."

Beaulieu asked if the model could be expanded to other branches of the GNWT, including income support and human resources.

SA国际影视传媒淭he short answer is yes,SA国际影视传媒� said Abernethy, adding that he first wants to see how cultural safety training impacts the health department.

Nahendeh MLA Shane Thompson also voiced his support for expanding cultural safety training across departments.

Advisors with the departmentSA国际影视传媒檚 Indigenous health and community wellness division have been, SA国际影视传媒渙pen to sharing their knowledge with other departments,SA国际影视传媒� including the WorkersSA国际影视传媒� Safety and Compensation Commission and the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, said senior cultural safety advisor Mahala Yakeleya Newmark.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know that this work is valuable for all people. Although (health) is our focus, weSA国际影视传媒檝e made room and time for that,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Deh Cho MLA Michael Nadli commended the department for its efforts.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 timely and itSA国际影视传媒檚 an effort to trying to at least make some forward steps in terms of the whole decolonization effort. This is a major undertaking and I support it 150 per cent,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚f we have institutions that serve us Dene, they should have a level of compassion and understanding of the belief systems that Dene have ... to at least meet the interests of people who make the North their home.SA国际影视传媒�

People accessing health care deserve a high level of service, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭here is an expectation that institutions like health care centres in the community are going to be able to respond if theySA国际影视传媒檙e in a position of need and they ask for help. Institutions have to respond,SA国际影视传媒� said Nadli. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 how our people are treated at the local level.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淚f our constituents are telling us that, we have to believe them. I think there has to be some serious review that those things should not happen,SA国际影视传媒� he continued.

Abernethy agreed there is SA国际影视传媒渕istrustSA国际影视传媒� in the system as a result of historical experiences but creating a formal complaint process will ensure better quality service, he said.

SA国际影视传媒淲e donSA国际影视传媒檛 anticipate that trust will be restored like that,SA国际影视传媒� said Abernethy, snapping his fingers. SA国际影视传媒淚t's asking a lot of people who have a history and maybe lack trust but we need them to work with us. We will learn from every single situation.SA国际影视传媒�

Translation and plain language service needed

Yellowknife Centre MLA Julie Green told the committee she witnessed a SA国际影视传媒渄isturbingSA国际影视传媒� incident where a locum physician at Stanton Territorial Hospital raised their voice at a woman whose first language was Dogrib.

The physician wanted to intubate her, but neither the woman nor the person with her understood what the doctor was saying.

SA国际影视传媒淗e raised his voice,SA国际影视传媒� she said, adding that when the woman didnSA国际影视传媒檛 understand a second time, he raised his voice again.

SA国际影视传媒淚 called him out on it because it was humiliating. Intubation might not be a word that even people in both languages would understand,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

Health services should ensure that physicians are explaining medical procedures to patients in plain language, she said.

The department is currently undertaking a review of interpretation services, said Newmark.

SA国际影视传媒淲e know communication is critical and that weSA国际影视传媒檙e going to support that through our training,SA国际影视传媒� she said.

The department is continuing to offer web-based, interactive training and community based workshops to help staff interact with residents.