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Results: 101 - 112 of 112
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
I suspect the question is for me.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you, MP Blaney, for the question.
We know that those infrastructure gaps, particularly in respect of housing, are unacceptable and were part of the reason for and the driver of communities being in a lesser position for poorer health outcomes with respect to COVID. We know, particularly in Inuit communities, how close and unacceptable housing conditions are a vector of tuberculosis, for example. This is, as you mentioned, absolutely nothing new.
Clearly, as we looked at what was in front of us as we faced a historic pandemic, it was that fact. I note that you mentioned tents. I would insert a word of caution there because these are highly specialized movable structures that are intended to isolate. They are used in some cases for testing. They are adaptable for the winter up to -40°C. They have been a critical resource for some communities in terms of their COVID response, along with the repurposing that we've done of certain buildings in response to their pandemic plan needs.
Now, I do agree with you that these are unacceptable conditions that first nations, Inuit and, for that matter, Métis communities face. This has been laid bare by COVID once again. That is why the Governor General mentioned as much in the throne speech in 2020, which was focused on the inequities that were laid bare by the COVID pandemic.
We are in a response-to-COVID mode, so clearly the safety of people and communities and their priorities need to be met. I am fully aware of this. We have an undertaking in government to close that gap by 2030. The question that I think we all need to pose to ourselves is, should we be doing that much more quickly? I would answer that, for my own purposes, in the affirmative.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Perhaps I can take the small moment afforded to me to speak to the excellent work done by the First Nations Health Authority, which really is an example for all of Canada. It exists only in B.C., but they've really done some amazing work to ensure that the resources we have at our disposal are deployed and mobilized, in conjunction with the Government of British Columbia, to ensure that communities stay safe but also to respect the cultural sensitivity and the lens that needs to be applied to this—and it actually saves lives.
The loss of any person, particularly an elder, is a tragedy, but the work that's been done in those communities has really been an example not only to other indigenous communities but to all communities in Canada. I think that if we looked at some of the measures taken and the seriousness with which those communities have responded, we might, I propose, have a better approach nationally. I actually am inspired by some of the work that's been done, and particularly by the leadership shown by the FNHA.
Minister Bennett.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
I'd be happy to, but I would like to take much more time than a minute to do this question service. As I mentioned in the introduction, this is the hidden face of this pandemic, and it is something that existed well before. It is why our department has invested $425 million annually for community-based and community-led services to address the needs of first nations and Inuit, while recognizing as well that COVID has laid bare this hidden face of the pandemic.
If you look at B.C. and the overdoses, a disproportionate number of which have affected indigenous communities, we know that there is something that needs to be addressed. This is in partnership with provinces, obviously, particularly with those that are shying away from harm reduction models, which is extremely alarming. It is why, obviously, in August we announced another $82.5 million to address this over the next six months of the pandemic, and we will be there every step of the way if more support is needed. We will not be able to quantify the impact of this for a very long time, as you know, as it manifests itself over time.
I do appreciate this important question and your advocacy on this, Lenore.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
We stay in touch with community health networks, nursing stations and local leadership. The general issue you raise is that lack of connectivity is a barrier to the effective deployment of our resources. This is even more the case with respect to transportation sustainability, which you mentioned in your question to the Minister of Northern Affairs. These are huge challenges, but not insurmountable.
Certainly, more investment in infrastructure is needed. It is difficult to do major construction in times of pandemic, but this is one of the issues that constantly comes up, not only in remote areas, but also in communities near Toronto and Brantford, such as Six Nations, which do not have the same Internet access as a neighbouring community.
So it's a problem that's pretty much across the country. This very often means that it is a problem experienced by indigenous communities.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
We recognize that students learning at home must use electronic equipment. They certainly cannot do so without access to the Internet. It's a challenge even in the most modern homes, so imagine what it's like in the scenario you just mentioned.
With respect to Nunavik, we need to talk about the commitment we have in common with the Quebec government. It is a shared responsibility.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
I would say that, when it comes to British Columbia, this work is done principally through FNHA, but as for the general question, we have been moving in real time in terms of our stockpile to a turnaround time of 24 hours. Now FNIHB and the resources that we have at our disposal serve essentially the health care and the essential service community inside indigenous communities. Our response time has improved to a 24-hour turnaround.
Clearly at the beginning, we saw some confusion across Canada with respect to how, when and where PPE was being used and deployed, and conversations as to need. Obviously, the clear message to us that we had to take action on was that we had to increase our communication with communities to see, first and foremost, what the protocol was for PPE. Very simple things become quite complex and intricate, particularly in a northern remote scenario, like donning and doffing, which has become a commonplace expression now. There was also proper use of PPE and how and when it's used in conjunction with testing.
I would leave the remaining portion of this question to Dr. Gideon.
Could you just add a bit, Val?
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
I believe there are more, but Val can answer that.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Just as an update to your prior question, MP McLeod, we actually have 77 GeneXpert machines that are deployed.
What I would say is that one of the lessons we learned from H1N1 is that we didn't want nursing staff or people going in and out on an emergency basis from communities. They themselves become vectors, particularly in situations where they're obviously in there to care and to help. This is why we have quite an elaborate protocol, whether it is isolating before they go in or other methods, to accommodate any specific scenarios. This has been a huge logistical challenge, which has included charters as well. We're conscious of this.
In terms of specific examples of nurses themselves becoming vectors, I suspect you mean that they were not themselves infected solely and then prevented...but were infected and then spread.... I would defer to Val or Dr. Wong to answer that, but, based on all the briefings I've received, it has been exceedingly rare.
View Marc Miller Profile
Lib. (QC)
Thank you so much for that important question, because it is a testament to the challenges we faced and the strict policy and legal authorities we all faced within our departments and how we've all had to think a bit outside the box in order to address where the vulnerabilities are expressing themselves, and that includes the 50% or more indigenous population that lives “off reserve”. More often, the typical iteration of that is large urban centres like Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, but it is also the reality in places like La Loche, where we saw one of the largest outbreaks. This is something that's near and dear to MP Vidal's heart, because I know of his engagement in ensuring that proper resources were deployed in those communities.
We have acknowledged that challenge, because those vulnerabilities exist, but when you're talking about intricate overlapping jurisdictions, obviously there's an execution challenge in the delivery of health care, which is primarily and exclusively, in those cases, the jurisdiction of the provincial or territorial governments. This has been a challenge within the strict authorities of the funds that we appropriated.
We knew from the very beginning that $15 million dedicated to “urban supports” was wildly insufficient, which is why we procured $75 million to distribute across a wide network of organizations and grassroots-based organizations that are really doing some of the key work in keeping people safe, whether that's food security, cultural supports, or keeping doors open. I think of the Native Women's Shelter of Montreal, which is doing incredible work in keeping people safe, alive and well surrounded during this pandemic. I look at some of the mobile supports in downtown Toronto, which I think Pam was instrumental in announcing and pushing for. This is the result of advocacy across parties. There isn't a single party that didn't approach me to say, you have to do more for indigenous communities that are in urban settings. It has yielded results in areas that I mentioned previously, in supporting harm reduction models in various forms, whether it's a wet shelter or other supports for people who are perhaps not getting a safe supply, or the food security I mentioned earlier.
These are all elements where we see what I call a “jurisdictional hole”, where the federal government has not been present, and provincial and territorial supports, for whatever reason, have not been there. COVID doesn't check the Constitution before it infects someone, and where we've seen it, it goes after those who are most vulnerable. The indigenous communities that came together, the Métis, Dene.... La Loche is an incredible example of a very alarming spread at the outset of COVID, where 200 people were infected in a community that has had its challenges, but they rallied together with an emergency response team. We supported it with financial supports, and they were able to stamp it out, and that's amazing work.
In part, it is the federal government's response to a very tricky jurisdictional question where we could not close our eyes to it, but also because of the advocacy of voices that go across party lines. I think we need to keep going together in lockstep on this issue, because we're not out of the woods on COVID specifically, and there are needs that are, we must acknowledge, unmet, and we are not meeting them currently, whether we look at ourselves or at the provincial governments.
Thank you, Adam, in particular, for your advocacy, because I know how you've interacted with our.... This isn't a throwaway thank you; this is a real thank you and I mean it, in every single thing you do, because I know you've been passionate about this.
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