Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to speak to our government's continued support for sonograph services to ensure better maternal and child health outcomes for first nations in northwestern Ontario.
This year alone our government is investing over $23 million to support healthy child development programming and services in first nation communities in Ontario. The maternal child health program specifically has received $4 million in the 2014-15 fiscal year.
In addition to the maternal child health program, Canada also invests $2 million per year in the Canada prenatal nutrition program for first nations in Ontario. This program focuses on pregnant women and women with infants up to 12 months of age, supporting activities related to nutrition screening, education and counselling, maternal nourishment and breastfeeding promotion and support.
Our government also supports a number of other programs and services related to maternal and child health for first nations in Ontario. These include the aboriginal head start on reserve program, the fetal alcohol spectrum disorder program and the children's oral health initiative.
This support is paying off. Indeed, we are seeing significant improvements in first nation communities with this programming, such as higher proportions of first nation children being breastfed for longer than six months, and increased screening for developmental milestones, prenatal risk factors and existing health conditions.
Specifically on the issue of the provision of ultrasounds, through the maternal child health program, Health Canada funds the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre to provide ultrasound services to remote communities in northwestern Ontario, including travel for a sonographer to perform the ultrasounds.
In response to the questions posed by the official opposition's deputy critic for aboriginal health, under the arrangement with the health centre, if the current sonographer retires, it is expected that the health centre will undergo a recruitment strategy to ensure continued ultrasound-sonography services.
Further, the deputy critic had concerns over the weight of the equipment, suggesting that it could adversely affect qualified women from being recruited. I understand that the previous mobile unit weighed in excess of 100 pounds. However, Health Canada invested in a new unit in 2013, which weighs approximately 10 to15 pounds.
Regarding concerns about the weight of additional supplies that are also carried from community to community, I understand that it is possible that a stock supply of support items, such as paperwork, ultrasound bags and scan gel, be sent to the communities in advance and that Health Canada's nursing stations are willing to hold these supplies for the sonographer's use exclusively.
I understand that the sonographer must also carry a cart, which holds the ultrasound equipment during a procedure, from community to community. To further reduce the weight burden for the sonographer, my departmental officials will open a dialogue with the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre to explore options for purchasing sonography carts which can remain on site in high volume communities.
Regarding options other than having the sonographer travel, the option of bringing clients to a central location for scans is not an ideal resolution to this issue. For example, in 2013-14, through funding provided by Health Canada, the sonographer made 35 trips to remote communities in northwestern Ontario and conducted 634 ultrasounds. It would be more cost-effective and efficient for the sonographer to travel than for the clients to travel.
Purchasing ultrasound equipment for each of the remote communities would also not result in actual savings, as a sonographer would still be required to travel to the community to perform the procedure. Moreover, there would be costs associated with maintaining the equipment.
The current system of having the sonographer carry the equipment to the community, even though it may result in overweight baggage charges, is still more cost-effective.
In closing, our Government remains committed to working with our partners to improve the health outcomes for these women.