By Taylor MacPherson

Federal Health Minister invests in Saskatchewan

Apr 19, 2017 | 10:00 AM

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott is on a tour of Saskatchewan, which has so far been highlighted by the announcement of a new health research centre in Saskatoon and visits to northern and First Nations communities.

Yesterday, Philpott announced the creation of the Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research operated out of the University of Saskatchewan. The new research collective will receive $63 million in federal and provincial funding over the next five years to investigate locally-relevant health issues, Philpott said.

“This is a big partnership between the federal government and the province to invest in a significant amount of research going forward,” Philpott told paNOW in a phone interview. “They will have a strong focus on Indigenous health research and also a big focus on mental health and addictions.”

Although the centre will be coordinated out of Saskatoon, Philpott said the project includes researchers from around the province who will be free to collaborate and combine their efforts to achieve the best results.

“It will have a really significant impact on the health of the people of Saskatchewan,” Philpott said.

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As part of her visit, Philpott toured healthcare facilities on Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation and Big River First Nation. Both communities, Philpott said, have emerged as great success stories following their recent battles against climbing HIV rates.

“In both cases these two communities have done absolutely exemplary work in responding to some of the health concerns,” Philpott said, noting several focused initiatives have helped residents get tested and prevent potential future infections through education.

“They are bringing down the new infection rates to almost zero,” she said. “They need to be highly commended for the work they’ve done.”

The successes around HIV, Philpott said, have allowed health workers in Big River and Ahtahkakoop to employ the same screening and testing initiatives to other health concerns such as hepatitis C, cancer and diabetes.

This morning, Philpott is en route to La Ronge, a community which continues to struggle following the recent mental health crisis resulting in the suicides of four young people in October. Philpott said she plans to sit down with Indigenous leaders as well as healthcare workers to discuss mental wellness issues.

“I’m going, in large part, to learn and to hear from the people there as to what their needs are and to hear their views on what will make a difference going forward,” Philpott said.

First Nations mental health continues to lag behind the rest of the country in many communities, Philpott said, and raising the standards of mental healthcare continues to be a priority for the federal government.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said they will be making a joint announcement with Philpott related to mental wellness today at noon following the minister’s morning meetings with Indigenous leaders in La Ronge.

taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews