People who live within the Fort Berthold reservation will be surveyed by phone next week – about adequacy of health care services.
The survey is being done for the Three Affiliated Tribes by the Common Enterprise Development Corporation of Mandan. CEO Bill Patrie says about 500 people will be surveyed – including tribal members and non-tribal members. Patrie says one of the main areas will address concerns about the availability of emergency services within the boundaries of the MHA Nation.
"The oil fields are generating all types of demands for emergency services," said Patrie. "Ambulances are felling the pressure, and emergency rooms are feeling the pressure."
Patrie says Trinity Health in Minot is seeing a lot of those emergency and trauma patients now.
"If there is a demand for additional trauma centers, emergency rooms or 24 hour clinic on the reservation, we'll get some idea from this phone survey on what that demand might be," said Patrie.
The results will be given to the tribal government for further consideration.