FNUC Teams Up With Medicine Chest Task Force

FNUC Teams Up With Medicine Chest Task Force

Tuesday, September 08, 2009 at 13:47

 

 

The First Nations University of Canada is partnering with the Medicine Chest Task Force, a group working on establishing Indian control of Indian health.

 

The task force will provide opportunities for health professionals at the university to work on developing a First Nations health system.

 

Sol Sanderson is leading the task force.

 

He says First Nations health is big business, but First Nations people aren’t taking advantage of that.

 

“What’s wrong with setting up a First Nations wholesale distribution centre that regulates and controls the quality of medicines that our people are consuming and using? What’s wrong with First Nations pharmacies in the commercial sector? Nothing. But we need to do it. We need to implement it,” Sanderson says.

 

The Medicine Chest Task Force is operated by the Thunderchild First Nation and comprised of leaders from Treaty 6.

 

The goal is to establish a traditional and contemporary health system under First Nations laws and jurisdictions.

 

Sanderson says he took on the challenge of leading the task force because a task force on education in the 1970s brought about great results.

 

The university will also work with the task force to develop joint funding submissions for projects related to health, social development and the environment.