When their child's doctor is 2,800 km away, Inuit families face tough choices | CBC News

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Ottawa is a major hub for essential medical services for hundreds of Nunavut children. But the long and repeated journeys are costly for families, and bringing care closer to home is difficult.

Adams said the strain caused by medical travel will continue as long as there aren't enough medical services in the territory.In a statement this summer, Nunavut's Ministry of Health said it's collaborating with CHEO and OSHNI to expand the territory's pediatric programs with a "care closer to home mentality."

Tijay's father James Sangoya said the family had thought about medical fostering but decided against it. Even a respite stay for Tijay in Ottawa was "unbearable," according to Tina.Advocates in the system Dr. Radha Jetty, medical lead at CHEO's Aakuluk Clinic, says Inuit patients from Nunavut and their families face a long and difficult journey coming to Ottawa for care, and they need cultural-relevant services.

That's partly why experts advocate for more specialized equipment in Nunavut, and collaborate with northern pediatricians, so they can provide complex care closer to home, Jetty said.Dr. Amber Miners, a pediatrician in Iqaluit, said her team at Qikiqtaniq General Hospital is constantly pushing to provide more care.

Miners said telehealth has always been important in Nunavut, but her team was involved in more remote consultations with specialists during the pandemic.

 

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While I can sympathize with the families,at least they have a Doctor in Ottawa.We moved here 6 mths ago and there are absolutely no GP’s here taking on patients.Thus, I can’t get a referral for a Cardiologist, Vascular Surgeon or Abdominal Surgeon.67 and no Captain at the helm.

It's certainly an unfortunate situation and I don't wish any family hardships. However, it's not lost on me that everything we've created in this country is considered hateful colonialism until that very colonization is exactly what you need.

My question is, what did they do before the evil Europeans came? Maybe they can do that, whatever it was.

And impossibly expensive which is why it should never be attempted.

Can we incentivize people to work there? Pay them double to stay for 5 years or something.

People who live in Remote areas - Get remote services. Is the solution to Force medical staff to move and work there? You have choices. Now Make them and live with them. It’s still (barely) a free country.

The world ends at Barrie

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