Dental care increases medical travel, need for beds in Yellowknife
CBC
Dental patients from across the Northwest Territories have been increasing the need for beds in Yellowknife, forcing patients to be sent to stay elsewhere.
Health Minister Lesa Semmler said when the boarding home in Yellowknife gets full, it uses local hotels for patients who need a place to stay while attending appointments in the city.
Semmler said the occupancy at the boarding home has increased by 50 per cent since April last year.
"Recently, the increased demand on medical travel related to dental is a huge factor," said Semmler.
Mackenzie Delta MLA George Nerysoo said he recently had a medical appointment and travelled to Yellowknife for it. The boarding home was full, so he was sent to the Quality Inn to stay.
"The noted hotel is not suitable for anyone to stay, let alone patients. These people vary from dental patients to cancer patients," said Nerysoo.
"No matter the severity of their condition, nobody should be made to stay at this hotel."
His comments echoed concerns raised earlier in February.
One Inuvik mother would like to see better communication to patients about their travel. Amanda Lennie recently came to Yellowknife for dental work for herself and her son. She has two other children who also need to see a dentist.
The Western Arctic Dental Group clinic in Inuvik has been closed for months. CBC could not confirm when exactly they closed their doors. There are currently no plans to bring another dentist to town.
Lennie called a dentist in Yellowknife for an appointment. She said that call was in November. In January, she was called about her and her son's visit.
She said she got confirmation of her flight last minute, and found out her appointment times were different than what she was given by medical travel.
"I am lucky I have family in Yellowknife — they were able to pick us up and bring us to our appointment at the right time," said Lennie.
She said she hopes the department that handles medical travel in Inuvik will have better communication with patients waiting for travel dates.
Lawyers for a man acquitted in a high-profile Toronto murder trial where a police officer was killed are holding a news conference Thursday to address a recent Ontario Provincial Police report that re-examines evidence from the trial.
Quebec provincial police arrested two men after a suspicious package grounded flights headed to Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Wednesday.
A nurse in Winnipeg says Canada's immigration system is undercutting efforts to address a shortage of health-care workers, after his application for permanent residency was rejected based on a technicality.
This year's provincial budget is "essentially" the status quo for wildfire preparation and response, the finance minister says.
Parts of B.C.'s coast continues to see heavy rain as Environment and Climate Change Canada warns of a prolonged atmospheric river this week.
Alberta teachers say they face increasingly dangerous conditions at school, with the most common threat coming from their own students.
Cataract surgeries at Charlottetown’s outpatient clinic are expected to resume in April, after procedures scheduled for March were cancelled due to the clinic reaching its annual funding target earlier than expected.
Shannon Elgazzar can see planes taking off from Cairo International Airport from her balcony.
Yellowknife city council has voted in favour of signing an agreement with the federal government that's aimed at bringing piped water and sewer service to the city's airport.
While Canada's economy is far more reliant on exports to the U.S. than vice versa, Canadian negotiators have crucial ammunition in their efforts to land a trade deal that reduces or eliminates tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Nova Scotia PC MLA Rick Burns says he and his wife are victims of blackmail after hackers accessed and shared videos and intimate images on his personal devices this week.
The Saint John Board of Police Commissioners and Chief Robert Bruce have lost a bid to permanently deny public access to all court documents related to conduct complaints nine officers filed against the chief.
With the looming October election, Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard has delivered a modest budget as the province aims to withstand ongoing trade disruptions and mounting geopolitical pressure.