Nâtimâchâukimikw – Mobile Health Unit: A First Land-Based Training For Health Emergency Preparedness

October 14, 2025

During the week of September 22, Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay (CBHSSJB) personnel gathered to train for the deployment of the Nâtimâchâukimikw – Mobile Health Unit (MHU), a mobile nonsurgical unit, to respond to emergencies in Eeyou Istchee, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross.

Participants from all horizons, including primary care, psychosocial, maintenance and administration, gained hands-on experience and essential knowledge that prepares them to support emergency deployments.

“With the MHU, we are being proactive, as opposed to reactive. For example, in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare professional resources were strained, even more so in the North. We learned from this and are preparing to respond to emergencies now, so we are ready to do so when help is needed.” said Kellyann Meloche, Coordinator, Nâtimâchâukimikw – Mobile Health Unit.

Each trainee completed three workshops. The first, MHU 101, covered the basics of emergency processes and procedures. The second focused on setting up and taking down the MHU, including site selection. The final workshop addressed operating the MHU, covering site management, roles and responsibilities, and health emergency simulations.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

During these workshops, our partners at the Canadian Red Cross “sharedtheir technical expertise and provided concrete support for the right to self-determination in health,” said Pascal Mathieu, Vice-President, Quebec, Canadian Red Cross, in addition to sharing that “it is the strength of a partnership that makes all the difference. By working alongside the CBHSSJB, we are learning to combine our expertise within an Indigenous cultural framework, adapt to the challenges of a northern region, and build solutions that respond to local realities. This exchange enriches us both.”

The training being land-based allowed for teams to understand the opportunities and challenges brought by northern climate and limited resources, enabling them to collaborate and adapt to overcome these issues that are likely to arise in real deployments.

This project has been in development, with guidance from the Canadian Red Cross, since 2018. Jason Coonishish, recently promoted to Director of Emergency Measures and Disaster Planning, has been a leader of the initiative from the very beginning and was beaming with pride: “Just observing all the participants at each of the workshops, it was amazing! Everyone was learning and engaged. It gives me hope to see our staff training to respond to emergencies in Eeyou Istchee.”

A key project objective that finally came to fruition is to build an emergency-trained workforce composed of Cree and non-Cree workers and professionals based in Eeyou Istchee.

“We had people from all horizons at this training. With them, we are building a roster that could be ready to deploy fast for a full-scale operation and though we are still looking to recruit, I remain confident that we are headed in the right direction.” shared Jean-Pierre Goyer, Training Officer, Nâtimâchâukimikw – Mobile Health Unit.