Fort Qu'Appelle hospital a first for tribal council

Page 2

Native patients at Saskatchewan's Fort Qu'Appelle Indian Hospital will have increasing access to traditional healing and preventative care as ownership of the facility transfers to the tribal council, says administrator Jean Bellegarde.

The federal government will officially hand over both ownership and operation of the hospital to the Touchwood File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council on Dec. 1, 1995.

"We want to be more than a hospital in future. We're looking at preventative care and keeping people out of hospital with the spiritual and emotional side too," says Bellegarde after emphasizing that acute care will continue.

The expanded philosophy will include traditional healing in areas such as mental health and suicide counselling. Adult programs for basic needs and education have already begun, along with respite care lasting up to 30 days for the elderly. The respite program gives family caregivers a break. Lastly, the facility will act as a training and education facility for Native student nurses on their practicums.

It's the latest in a string of Indian hospital transfers to the jurisdiction of tribal councils across the country and Northwest Territories as Ottawa moves out of the business of hospitals. But it is the first to be owned, in addition to be operated, by a tribal council.

They were originally set up in each province earlier this century under the Medical Services Branch to treat Natives on reserve.

The facility will continue to serve both the 16 surrounding First Nations and non-Native residents near the town of Fort Qu'Appelle.

Bellegarde's also hoping to increase the numbers of Native staff. While they've mainly worked in the housekeeping and dietary departments until now a mandate is to recruit for all areas, especially nursing. Bellegarde is a member of the Peepeekisis First Nation.