At the Regional Healing Conference, we presented an interactive activity illustrating the need to work together with better communications to tackle our many social issues and concerns at the local level.
This year, as part of our community tours for the Healthy & Safe Communities Program, we made presentations to the Chief and Council of Waskaganish along with the members of Washaw Sibi. As there is little activity at the community level on adopting a healthy and safe community program, we decided to focus on Injury Prevention.
We did some work on developing a dog control program in Chisasibi that other communities can adapt to their local situations.
A presentation was made to the Board of Directors of the Cree Trappers Association explaining why Public Health could not support the CTA in their request for an exemption from the use of helmets on ATVs and snowmobiles for their members.
At the Miyupimaatisitaau Committee Workshop at the Regional Health Conference in Nemaska, we worked with participants to draft the overall roles and responsibilities of these committees.
Nutrition
Collaboration with Chisasibi Hospital to implement serving traditional food to hospital patients
Members of the PH department participated in a working group with hospital personnel which in 2006 was instrumental in obtaining official approval from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ) to serve traditional food at Chisasibi hospital. Under Quebec regulations, all meat served in provincial hospitals must be inspected by a Canadian or Quebec government veterinarian, but the hospital was granted an exemption to be able to serve caribou, on condition they follow a strict protocol with respect to safe procedures for hunting, transporting, handling and cooking game meat. During 2007-2008, the working group met with MAPAQ, drafted a report to MAPAQ which was sent by Louise Gagnon, the hospital director, and developed draft protocols for other game meat and birds. There is interest in serving Cree traditional food in the MSDCs and other CHB facilities. However, we have problems getting a supply of bush food for the hospital that has been hunted and butchered according to MAPAQ criteria.
Childcare Centres
Work with the childcare centres focussed on developing healthy menus with no junk food and improving the pediatric nutrition awareness of educators and cooks. In terms of the food served, this means lower fat, sugar and salt, more whole grains, adequate and appropriate liquids. In the future, we hope it will also involve promoting traditional
foods in childcare centres. In terms of the educational focus, the work involves many varied topics, including:
Assessing menus and food ingredients, workplace layout, safety, equipment, sanitation aspects, procedures for production, distribution and purchasing Helping staff understand how to create a pleasant and positive ambiance during
meals
Developing a policy and screening process for awareness of food allergies and choking hazards
Making the kitchens in our childcare centres healthier and safer work environments
We also encourage school-age student helpers for lunch time and develop activities with healthy foods and snacks for childcare centre children and the after school program. Drop the Pop Campaign
The Drop the Pop Campaign continued with improvements that had been suggested after last year’s campaign. The documentation was made more user-friendly with a more concise text and more interesting educational activities. We also collected data on the impact of the campaign and this will be available through the report.
Promotion of Physical Activity
This year we continued many of the same projects as in previous years. We ran the Active School Project between February and June 2007 receiving proposals and distributing funds to 9 schools. Between July and August, we ran the Summer Active “100-Mile Challenge”. And the Fall Active in October focussed on the theme “Walk to school”. These were based on the Winter Active we held last year between January and March, 2007.
We publicised physical activity and “Drugs in Sport” with ads in The Nation and had our annual display booth at the regional hockey and broomball tournament in December. We worked with CBC Maamuitaau on public discussions about obesity in schoolchildren. In August, we prepared a workshop on addictions for the Wellness Conference in Waswanipi and returned to discuss the history of physical activity during Diabetes Month in November. We also made this last presentation in Mistissini.
We participated in the Healing Lodge working group and attended the Kino-Québec annual meeting, this year in Rimouski.
Occupational Health and Safety Program
Regional public health departments in Quebec have a mandate to deliver occupational health and safety programs to certain groups of employers and for certain types of work- related health problems. The budget for these activities is from the Quebec Workplace Health and Safety Commission (Commission de la Santé et Sécurité au Travail; CSST). In 2006, the Public Health Department succeeded in obtaining a budget for a pilot project for two years in our region. During 2007-2008, a program officer (occupational health
nurse) was recruited and began planning the program, which we expect to submit for approval in 2008-9.
The goal is to eliminate at source the dangers to the health, safety and physical well-being of workers and to prepare and apply a specific health program for each establishment according to the CSST priority which is, in order: construction, forestry, sawmill, mine, transportation, municipality workers and so forth.
This year, we verified and corrected the provincial database for the occupational
health program (SISAT) for our region, and introduced the planned program to the Cree Nations of Chisasibi and Mistissini with a leaflet explaining the program, a press-release in the Nation, and a letter to all businesses in the communities.
As well, an occupational health doctor is working with our Department to prepare a literature review on the problems experienced by aboriginal workers on industrial worksites in remote areas (e.g Hydro projects, mines etc.), as part of her Master’s degree project at McGill.
Book: “The Gift of Healing – Health Problems and their Treatments”