By William Koblensky Varela | Nunavut News
A campaign by a union in the North is asking the Government of Nunavut to reduce its reliance on privately-contracted healthcare workers and to offer better support for Inuit employees.
In early January, a new petition to revive Northern HealthCare Matters was launched after advocacy initially began in 2023 through the Northern Territories Federation of Labour, which includes the Nunavut Employees Union.
One of the new calls is for ongoing financial incentives to retain healthcare workers rather than provide one-time bonuses, which Northern Territories Federation of Labour says is divisive, ineffectual and is how payment is currently structured.
“Five of the territory’s eight lab technicians quit at the end of 2022, citing the fact that they were left out of the $10,000 bonuses given to nurses at the time,” said Amanda Arsenault, Nunavut Employees Union vice-president.
Meanwhile, half of nursing jobs are unfilled in Nunavut, according to the federal government, Arsenault pointed out.
She argued that better retention policies and workplace conditions could help improve the system.
“We want to see better training support and opportunity for Inuit who would like to work in healthcare alongside training for delivering culturally-responsive care for non-Inuit healthcare workers in Nunavut,” Arsenault said.
The Nunavut Employees Union has been making these demands to the Government of Nunavut through its contract bargaining, according to Arsenault.
Nunavut has the most expensive healthcare system to operate in Canada, with governments spending more than $30,000 per person in the territory, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
The average cost in Canada, including Nunavut, is $9,600 per person.
Flying in health professionals, flying out patients, and obtaining equipment is behind what makes Nunavut’s healthcare so expensive to operate, according to Irma Arkus, manager of communications for the GN’s Department of Human Resources.
The territorial government is actively trying to reduce contracting out healthcare workers and increase employee retention incentives, according to Arkus.
She said lab technicians who quit in 2022 weren’t eligible for bonuses at that time under their contract.
“Improving primary care and access to diagnostic services remains a top priority,” Arkus said.
Healthcare in Nunavut is improving by offering expanded pharmaceutical and home care services, reduced wait-lists, introduction of the new CT (X-ray), portable MRI (medical imaging), and traveling ultrasound services, along with expansion of the virtual care programs, according to Arkus.
Healthcare worker shortages is a national problem in Canada, she contended, and the GN is trying to recruit locally.
“These efforts are also supported with pre‑employment programs, education and training for healthcare staff, expanding existing career pathways for Nunavummiut,” Arkus said.
