Wait time guarantee announced for First Nations diabetes care

Last Updated: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 | 1:33 PM ET

CBC News

Aboriginal Canadians with diabetes may benefit from a pilot project to establish timely diabetes care, Health Minister Tony Clement announced Tuesday.

The rate of diabetes among First Nations people is three to five times that of the general Canadian population.

"This is the right kind of place to do this when it comes to diabetes," Clement told CBC Newsworld on Tuesday.

"If it's working … then clearly that's something that we want to emulate in other areas as well."

The projects will provide wait time guarantees that:

• Adults who test positive for diabetes will have an appointment within two months for an assessment and diabetes education with a primary health-care provider on reserve.
• Adults who are pre-diabetic will have a chance to participate in a diabetes prevention, education and support program within three months.
• Adults who have a normal test result will be retested within a year.

Clement announced that Health Canada is developing a pilot project for up to 10 First Nations communities that will last about two years. The Assembly of First Nations is a partner in the project.

The department has not chosen the communities that will participate in the pilot projects. The reserves will be in two different geographic areas, Clement said.

He acknowledged that the distance between some reserves and medical centres is a challenge, and it is difficult to get and keep health professionals on reserves.

Results will be evaluated for use in other First Nations communities across Canada.

The government is investing $40 million in diabetes prevention programs for aboriginals, Clement told the National Summit on Aboriginal Health in Vancouver via teleconference from Ottawa.

There is money in the budget for the pilot project but it is not yet ready for national rollout, he said.

Last week, Clement announced a similar pilot project to introduce wait time guarantees for prenatal care on up to 10 First Nations reserves.

Earlier this week, Manitoba Premier Gary Doer said the federal Conservative government has stalled on improving the health of aboriginal people, such as ensuring safe drinking water.