When their child’s doctor is 2,800 km away, Inuit families face tough choices – CBC

Dec 15, 2022

Nunavut mother says some Inuit who leave territory for health care don’t return

Medical travel between the remote community of Clyde River, Nunavut, and Ottawa has been an essential, but difficult journey for Tina Kuniliusie and her 14-year-old daughter Tijay.

The toll has been high and after almost a decade and a half of navigating the medical travel system, Tina says her family may have to move to Ottawa permanently.

“Ten years is a long time to fight the system. I cannot continue another 10 years. That is too much on one’s well-being. So whether I like it or not, it looks like it’s going to have to happen,” she said.

Ottawa is a major hub for essential medical services for the hundreds of Nunavut children that have to leave the territory for care. The long and repeated journeys are costly and can be exhausting for the families and bringing care closer to home is difficult.

When their child’s doctor is 2,800 km away, Inuit families face tough choices – CBC

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