Much
of my career as a Registered Nurse has been dedicated to helping
members of the Keewaytinook Okimakanak First Nations develop and
manage local health care services. For the past six years I have
worked helping to introduce the Keewaytinook Okimakanak First Nations
of Nishnawbe Aski (our people and their land) to the tools and benefits
that telehealth can deliver.
Telehealth
offers a great opportunity for all of our First Nations. It allows
us to become increasingly self-reliant. By delivering more health
care from within our own communities, we reduce the need to remove
our sick, injured and elderly from the care and support of their
families at the time when they are most vulnerable.
The
objective of health care is to promote healing. Healing is done
best within a community of support. For mental health primary care
especially, it is important that patients be supported while living
within the environment where they will need to survive during and
after their healing process.
Investment
in Telehealth for the North is necessary and crucial to improve
primary health care services … and should not be justified only
in terms of savings gained on transportation costs. However the
real return will be in the creation of strong, self-reliant communities
and community members who will use their strength to contribute,
each in their unique way, to their community and Canadian society.
