Community leaders want solutions as health centres in Yukon continue to reduce services

The chief of the Ross River Dena Council says his community is in a "vulnerable state" because of reduced health services.

On Sept. 28, the Yukon department of Health and Social Services posted on Facebook that the Ross River Health Centre would be reducing services until Oct. 24 due to staffing shortages.  

Dylan Loblaw, chief of the Ross River Dena Council, said there are over 100 elders and seniors in his community that rely on the health centre's services.

"It leaves our members and citizens where they're going to have to either go to Faro or Whitehorse," Loblaw said.

"Once again we're seeing shortages and it may negatively impact the ones that are depending on those services."

The shortages have been affecting rural communities across Yukon throughout the summer, with health centres in Beaver Creek, Teslin and Pelly Crossing temporarily reducing services over a lack of available nurses. Full services have since returned to all three health centres.

In response to the global shortage of health and social services workers, a Health Human Resources Steering Committee, led by the Yukon Government and the Yukon Hospital Corporation was formed in March to help address the challenges.

The committee is also composed of representatives from the Yukon Medical Association, the Yukon Registered Nurses Association, the Yukon Medical Council, the Yukon Employees Union, Yukon University and Yukon First Nations.

According to the department of Health and Social Services, the only active representative for Yukon First Nations is the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in Whitehorse, along with the Council of Yukon First Nations.

Loblaw says he feels First Nations outside of Whitehorse should be involved with the discussion when it comes to their community's needs.

"There needs to be more collaboration with the communities to better support and get more resources for the communities," he said.

Ted Laking is the president of the Association of Yukon Communities.

"The government does not seem to understand that it's just not acceptable or right to have entire communities without immediate access to health-care for very extended periods of time," Laking said.

"We're getting no progress."

Another problem is the lack of communication from the Yukon Government regarding these service reductions, Laking said.

"You have to go to Facebook to find out. In fact sometimes the only time that I find out about it are when my members reach out and say 'hey we heard from the local nurse that they're going to be shutting this down for a month'," he said.

The Yukon Government said the Health Human Resources Steering Committee is actively developing a Health Human Resources Strategy to explore bold and innovative solutions to address immediate health-care challenges and prepare for long-term systemic needs.

But Laking says this isn't addressing the issue.

"To just study this with another committee is frankly irresponsible and it's dangerous ... We need to see actual action," he said.

CBC News reached out to the department of Health and Social Services, but didn't receive a comment by deadline.

Dr. Alex Kmet, president of the Yukon Medical Association, said he cannot speak on behalf of the committee or the content under development.

But he said his association has witnessed a tremendous amount of collaboration by the Health Human Resources steering committee members and he is optimistic about what the group will accomplish.