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SahtuMLAasksforupgradetomedicaltransportationDeceasedeldernottreatedwithdignitywhenmovedfromYellowknife8TuesdayNovember182014HEALTHWELLNESSMEDICALTRANSPORTThenewPULSEWOODBUFFALOCALLLINE780-743-7000isaninormationlinenowavailabletoallRegionalMunicipalityoWoodBualocitizens24-hoursadaysevendaysaweek365daysayear.CallthisnumberandamemberothemunicipalRESDispatchwillanswereverycall.Itheycantansweryourquestionimmediatelyyouwillgetapersonalresponsewithin48hours.Thisisasimplewaytokeepyourfngersonthepulseothecommunity.Foremergenciesalwayscall911.ForaccuratecurrentinormationroundtheclockaboutanythingconcerningtheMunicipalitycall780-743-7000.FROMBUSPASSESTOBUSSHELTERSLOSTSWEATERSKEYSTOWINTERROADSSNOWREMOVALANDSTRAYDOGSWITHFLEASFROMPOTHOLESTOFLOODINGTREEBRANCHESBRICKSTOPARKINGANDTRAFFICLIGHTSCALLUSFORTHEFIXAREALPERSON.WITHREALANSWERS.EVERYTIME.ALLTHETIME.HAVEAQUESTIONCALL780-743-7000HAVEANEMERGENCYCALL911WWW.WOODBUFFALO.AB.CAByDALICARMICHAELAfamilyfromTulitaisupsetwiththede-partmentofHealthandSocialServicesHSSMedicalTravelprogramafterrecentlyusingitsservicestotransporttheremainsofanelderfromYellowknifetoTulita.SahtuMLANormanYakeleyasaidhere-ceivedacomplaintabouttheservicefromaconstituentinNormanWellsonNov.10andiscallingforanupgradetothepoliciesthatdetermineMedicalTravelspracticestoavoidwhathecallsanindignityfromhap-peningagain.ThedeceasedelderwasownonaCana-dianNorthightfromYellowknifetoNor-manWellsonNov.10accompaniedbyhergranddaughter.Oncelandinginthecom-munityaround1140a.m.thewomansre-mainswerestoredinafreightfacilityuntilascheduledighttoTulitawasreadytoleavealmostfourhourslater.TheyputtheyounggirlinaterminalwhowascryingbecausehergrandmotherhadjustpassedawayYakeleyasaid.HowwouldsomebodywanttodothattotheirowngrandparentsTheresjustnorespectnodignitytheytreatherlikeitsnothing.AccordingtothedepartmentthecurrentMedicalTravelpolicyistoprovidesupporttofamilieswhomeetthecriteriafornan-cialassistancebyagreeingtotransportthebodyofadeceasedpersonbytheleastex-pensivemeansavailable.Thoseusingtheservicealsohavetheoptionofmakingtheirownarrangementsandclaimingtheirex-pensesafterthefact.Butwiththetransportationofhighly-re-spectedeldersYakeleyasaidthatjustisntenough.WedonthavemuchforourelderlypeoplehereintheSahtuandtheresgottobesomespecialconsiderationfromtimetotimeoutofrespectfortheelderlyladytothecommunityandthegranddaughterhesaid.ItdoesntcostverymuchforacharterplaneforhertoTulitaandback.Theydonthavethateveryweekoreveryday.Theyshouldhavemadearequesttosaynowerenotgonnaholdherbodyinthefreightshedhereweregoingtoputheronthischarterandweregoingtosendherhomerightaway.AtthistimeHSSpolicyonlycallsforcharterflightstotransportthedeceasedwhentherearenootherflightsavailableorinwhattheycallextenuatingcircum-stanceslikewhentheyaretransport-ingsomeonewhodiedfromaninfectiousdisease.Withtheregularschedighttherescargopossiblytheresotherpassengersandmaybetheresotherfreighthesaid.Itslikeget-tingontoaGreyhoundbusyoudontknowwhoisgoingtobethere.Inlargercentresyoumightkindofexpectthatbecauseitssobigbutinthesmallcommunitieseverybodyknowseachother.AccordingtoHSSthepolicydirectivewasalreadyupdatedasrecentlyasMayofthisyear.Theamendmentswerebasedonfeed-backfromhealthandsocialservicesauthori-tiesthatreectstheirexperienceindealingwiththesesituations.RegardlessYakeleyathinksthepolicycoulduseaninjectionofempathyforgriev-ingfamilies.IthinkMedicalTravelneedstohavesomecompassionwhenyouredealingwithelderlypeopleespeciallyinsmallcommunitieshesaid.MedicalTravelreallyneedstotakeintoaccountthecultureofAboriginalpeopleandtheirbeliefsandcustomsandhavemorere-spectfortheelderlypeople.Thefamilyofthedeceasedhasaskedforprivacyatthistime.PhotocourtesyofGNWTSahtuMLANormanYakeleyaiscallingforthedepartmentofHealthandSocialSer-vicestore-evaluatetheproceduresbehindtheMedicalTravelprogram.