Dene Nation decries decision to scrap N.W.T. health board

The Dene Nation is calling out the N.W.T.'s health minister for dissolving the N.W.T. Health and Social Services Authority's leadership council and replacing it with a public administrator. 

The organization wrote in a news release Wednesday that it has "grave concerns" over the upcoming dissolution of the council.

The N.W.T. government announced the decision Tuesday to dissolve the council by Dec. 16.

In a news release Tuesday, the leadership council said they found out the board was being dissolved during a meeting last week. 

"The leadership council is disappointed that these changes were implemented without prior consultation, however they acknowledge the authority of the minister to take this step and will work to support a smooth transition," the release said. 

The release also said the council discussed comments made during the most recent sitting of the Legislative Assembly "questioning the competence and qualifications" of the health authority's management.

"Lateral violence such as this should not be tolerated, and the council hopes to see improvements in this area," they wrote. 

The council said they remain committed to their work, and that most current members of the leadership council will stay involved "in shaping the future direction of the Health and Social Services system."

'Grave concerns' over decision 

In its statement Wednesday, the Dene Nation said it had expressed "grave concerns" over the dismissal of the leadership council.

"The replacement of a health board by a single government administrator raises significant concerns regarding governance, accountability and the overall effectiveness of health services," Dene National Chief George Mackenzie said in the release. 

"Dene, Inuit and Metis leadership must be included in all decisions that affect health and social services administered to our people. We are in a crisis state regarding medical travel, child/family services and the recruitment and retention of health-care providers."

The organization also said it has concerns about the appointment of a single administrator, which it said could lead to less oversight, "potentially leading to decisions that prioritize political agendas over public health needs."

It also said the removal of the board "further alienates community members, weakening their involvement in health initiatives and undermining public health outcomes."

Council's capacity exceeded, minister says 

Health Minister Lesa Semmler told CBC News the board has done "exceptionally well," throughout the years, having dealt with COVID-19, flooding and the rising cost of providing health care in the N.W.T. 

"The decision was made to be able to support the [health authority] better, to have somebody dedicated full-time ... to, you know, give the support to them to get us on the track that we need to get so we can have sustainable health care," Semmler said. 

The minister said many members of the leadership council have other full-time jobs, and the council only meets four times a year.

Responding to the criticism from the Dene Nation, Semmler said she's had "many conversations with the chair" over her term.

"The capacity of the governing council, you know, it has been exceeded, I think," she said. "And because of this ever-changing pressure on them, I feel that we need to bring in somebody to be able to deal with these high-pressure systems.

"You know, the residents of the Northwest Territories want and deserve a health-care system that is providing quality care. And so, over the years, over this past year, there have been many increases to the budget and yet we're still ... we still can't seem to get on top of where we need to be," she added. 

The council has nine members. It will be dissolved as of Dec. 16 when public administrator Dan Florizone takes over.