Mr. Speaker, 19 years ago, maternal health outcomes on Nishnawbe Aski Nation were more in line with the results we see in third world locations. The institution of the mobile ultrasound program has brought those outcomes in line with the successes we enjoy across Canada. The program can be characterized as a real success story and is something we can be proud of.
In November, I raised a question about the program, which was struggling to acquire appropriate equipment that would also have a positive cost benefit. Put another way, we could be getting more bank for our buck. This issue is coming to the forefront, as the current sonographer expects to retire in the next few years, and any replacement will inherit an aging and burdensome system that must be lugged from community to community.
The minister informed me that she would be happy to look into the issue and would get back to me. Officials in her office contacted mine, and we put them in touch with the stakeholder who had flagged the problem with me in the first place. It seemed that there would be movement on the issue, and the ministry would make some headway on a problem that, if addressed, could save taxpayers a significant amount of money over time while ensuring that positive maternal health outcomes were protected in the remote communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
In December, an official in the minister's office contacted the current sonographer and suggested he contact the director of nursing in Ontario to see if that office could provide funding or had other ideas about where money might come from. I think that is called downloading.
Although it sounded as if everyone was supportive of the project and might be able to access funds through a provincial body, a meeting that was arranged for the period leading up to Christmas was cancelled and was supposed to be rescheduled for some time in January. So far, nothing has happened, and the month is almost done.
While the outcomes have improved, the job of the sonographer is truly taxing. The current and only sonographer to date carries hundreds of pounds of specialized equipment into remote communities to meet with expectant mothers. As I mentioned earlier, this person is planning for his retirement and is attempting to modernize the equipment to create a deeper pool of potential replacements. The equipment used is effective but heavy.
Much has changed in 19 years, including the design of mobile ultrasound equipment. Now it is possible to have two-part machines with a heavier base and detachable computer type components that have been described to me as a brain the sonographer carries from location to location.
The last time the program needed equipment replaced there was a six-month gap during which Health Canada spent half a million dollars moving patients to permanent machines in Sioux Lookout.
The best option may be to equip these communities with the two-part scanners at a one-time cost of $15,000 each. It would allow the program to carry on with a larger pool of eligible replacement sonographers and to maintain the best health outcomes at the same time.
It is a solution that would best protect these communities and our precious tax dollars. Will the Minister of Health decide to save taxpayers money and buy the scanners?