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A Yukon Party government will reduce wait times for essential health procedures. Whether due to the pandemic, systemic challenges, or a lack of resources, the wait times for several important procedures available at Whitehorse General Hospital have lengthened.
“Quality health care is timely health care,” said Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon. “The Yukon Party will take action for a change to reduce wait times and ensure Yukoners get the care they need when they need it.”
To achieve this a Yukon Party government will create a Wait Time Reduction Strategy to:
- Collect and compile procedure data from WGH programs and services, laboratory services, and medical imaging.
- Rank and prioritize procedures with backlogged wait times.
- Identify the necessary resources to address these back logs.
- Consider what procedures should be delivered within the territory.
- Improve public awareness of wait times through a publicly available “dashboard.”
A Yukon Party government will also provide the Yukon Hospital Corporation (YHC) with the stable, predictable funding it needs to deliver quality care, which included an annual increase. Further to this, a Yukon Party government will also work with YHC to:
- Develop a capital plan for the corporation.
- Begin construction of a new Secure Medical Unit at the WGH and ensure proper training and protocols are in place.
- Improve surgical services area at the WGH.
- Ensure that capital buildings, equipment purchases, and program improvements are built into the Yukon government’s budget planning.
- Ensure that adequate supports exist for staff at health care facilities to prevent staff burn-out.
The pandemic has demonstrated that a comprehensive range of care can be delivered remotely. However, when Yukoners are required to travel to receive care, they need better support.
To help improve access to necessary care, a Yukon Party government will:
- Explore the creation of Territorial Medical Director.
- Increase the availability and use of virtual care.
- Improve access to physicians and nurse practitioners based on data from the Find a Family Doctor tool and emergency department usage at Whitehorse General Hospital, Watson Lake Community Hospital, and Dawson City Community Hospital.
- Review rural dental services to ensure they are meeting the needs of our communities.
“By investing in the health of Yukoners, we’re making an investment in the territory’s future. Together, these measures are going to help us build a healthier, stronger Yukon for all of us,” added Dixon.
