Ojibway chief upset at how a First Nation teen with ‘massive’ wound was treated in Kenora, Ont., hospital’s ER

WARNING: This story comprises reference to self-harming.

A Kenora, Ont., hospital is investigating after the chief of Ojibways of Onigaming says a 13-year-old from his First Nation was left within the emergency room with out quick take care of a “large” wound, and a nurse instructed him to bandage it himself. 

Jeff Copenace stated he was known as by the household to go to Lake of the Woods District Hospital (LWDH) on April 25 to advocate for the teenager. He stated she had tried to hurt herself, and she or he had already been ready within the ER for greater than half-hour when he arrived. When he approached the desk to get assist, he stated, a nurse handed him gauze and tape.

“I used to be shocked that [the girl] was sitting there with an open wound and never even like a social employee speaking to her, anybody speeding to her help,” Copenace instructed CBC Information, including the woman is now doing properly and at dwelling.

“We’re a First Nation that continues to be in a state of emergency for suicides and psychological sickness. The district hospital is properly conscious of that.”

CBC Information has been unable to independently confirm precisely what occurred on the hospital. 

The president of the LWDH, Ray Racette, stated they started investigating after seeing Copenace’s tweet, which got here the identical day because the incident, including they hope to talk with the chief.

The incident comes amidst a nationwide dialog — spurred by the 2020 loss of life of Atikamekw mom Joyce Echaquan — in regards to the impacts of systemic racism towards Indigenous folks within the health-care system, in addition to hospital staffing shortages throughout Canada.

It additionally got here simply months after a First Nation household stated a 32-year-old man died of a mind bleed hours after he was discharged from the identical hospital with headache drugs.

Wound was ‘alarming,’ chief says

Copenace stated he instantly drove 116 kilometres north to get to the Kenora hospital after the household of the younger woman known as him, saying she had harmed herself. 

The woman and her uncle had been within the emergency room with a deep, open minimize on her arm, he stated.

“It was an enormous wound. It was minimize straight by way of the pores and skin … and it was actually alarming,” Copenace stated.

He stated that after he requested the ER desk in the event that they deliberate to bandage her wounds, the nurse instructed him, “‘I am not going to decorate a wound that occurred final evening and is not bleeding anymore.'”

“I used to be panicked,” stated Copenace. “I requested [the nurse], ‘Are you aware she’s 13? Are you aware that she self-harmed?'”

At that time, he stated, a second nurse gave him gauze and medical tape, and instructed him to bandage her wound. It wasn’t till he requested for a supervisor that the woman’s minimize was taken severely, Copenace stated, after which closed with stitches.

When the supervisor got here out to talk with him in regards to the incident and the hospital’s response, Copenace stated she instructed him there had been no experiences of racism at Lake of the Woods hospital within the 20 years she’s labored there.

“If this was a younger, white little one, the entire hospital would have raced to her,” the chief of the Treaty 3 First Nation believes. “They by no means would have left a younger white little one with an open wound that required eight stitches.”

Copenace repeated issues about the way in which systemic and direct racism have an effect on the well being care of Indigenous folks. These issues — which have been documented for many years in authorities studies, inquiries and royal commissions — embrace disproportionately longer wait occasions, minimizing of issues, inappropriate or no ache administration, medical errors and a scarcity of respect for cultural protocols.

He additionally emphasised issues over youth suicide in Indigenous communities. In accordance with Statistics Canada, the speed of suicide amongst Indigenous folks is 3 times increased than the nationwide common — amongst Indigenous youth, the disparity is even better.

“The therapy that we obtain from non-Indigenous health-care professionals, cops, authorities officers, taxi drivers, the systemic racism that we face is driving this self-harm and it must cease.”

The connection between systemic racism and poor psychological well being outcomes, together with increased charges of suicidal ideation and self-harm, is properly established in tutorial analysis and authorities studies, together with most just lately the 2020 report “In Plain Sight” on Indigenous-specific racism in B.C. and a 2021 report into 45 mostly Indigenous boys who died by suicide or homicide in Manitoba.

Copenace stated his focus final week was making certain the woman had the correct helps, and now he’s getting ready to file a criticism with the hospital.

Tweets immediate hospital to open investigation

Racette, the Kenora hospital’s president, stated early findings from the investigation present that upon arrival to the ER, the affected person was triaged, which is the evaluation course of hospitals use to find out which circumstances have to be seen most urgently. Based mostly on that evaluation, the affected person’s wound was handled inside one hour, after which launched inside 5½ hours.

“Our employees have a look at sufferers based mostly on want, they usually do the very best that they’ll for them,” Racette stated. “There are various things that wanted to occur within the technique of care … the emergency workforce, they work as a workforce they usually have numerous sufferers to see.”

“We’re understaffed. We have now a 40 per cent emptiness price in staffing in [the emergency department], in order that in itself could be very difficult for workers who’re simply attempting to do the very best job they’ll. However it may impression wait occasions.”

Racette stated the way in which hospital officers perceive what occurred within the emergency room is totally different from what the chief posted on social media, including they known as the band workplace and despatched an electronic mail to Copenace’s government assistant in an try to satisfy with him.

“We’d actually recognize assembly with him as a result of we respect him and we wish to have an change with him,” Racette stated, including social media could be “a really blunt instrument” that may hurt their fame and relationship with Indigenous folks.

“We’re working arduous to enhance. There’s a number of perceptions on this hospital that return a very long time, and people are arduous to alter as a result of they’re a part of the lived historical past with some folks,” he acknowledged.

Copenace instructed CBC Information he had not obtained any messages, however can be reaching out to the hospital to debate the scenario.

Historical past of detrimental experiences at hospital

Jennifer Dreaver, chief working officer of the Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA), a First Nations well being and social companies company that works with 9 communities, stated she was saddened however not stunned to listen to about what Copenace stated he skilled on the hospital. 

“It is disconcerting for the group, as a result of it simply continues to erode belief and religion within the utilization of the Kenora hospital,” stated Dreaver, from Mistawasis Nehiyawak First Nation in Treaty 6.

Dreaver stated she’s heard many tales about First Nations folks selecting to bypass the Kenora hospital and drive tons of of further kilometres to get medical assist in Thunder Bay or Winnipeg, including there’s a lengthy historical past of distrust between the hospital and surrounding First Nations.

As an company that advocates for Indigenous sufferers, the KCA has partnered with the Kenora hospital on a challenge of “reconciliation by way of well being” that can see the development of a brand new facility — the All Nations Hospital — to switch the prevailing constructing and enhance well being take care of Indigenous folks.

“We do wish to work collectively to validate sufferers’ experiences and make them really feel heard, to have clear processes for folks to have their issues addressed and to have responsiveness on the a part of the hospital,” stated Dreaver.

‘A lifetime of labor’

Dreaver stated the purpose is to have an area hospital folks could be assured in and is correctly resourced, and the place employees have coaching in cultural security and trauma-informed care.

Work is going on now on the present facility, together with the hiring of extra Indigenous employees and affected person advocates and enhancing the criticism course of, however it takes time, Dreaver stated.

“It is a lifetime of labor to construct these bridges.”

However the change is not occurring quickly sufficient, Copenace stated.

“We’re nonetheless speaking in a very totally different language from the non-Indigenous well being professionals, and our persons are struggling.”

He fears extra Indigenous folks will select to remain dwelling and never search assist, which might result in increased charges of untimely deaths — a hyperlink made within the 2020 report in B.C. about Indigenous-specific racism in well being care.

“I’ve bought nothing however respect for the medical career, however I simply wish to see these racial boundaries damaged down and our kids served correctly.”

If you happen to or somebody you recognize is struggling, this is the place to get assist: 

This information from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines the right way to speak about suicide with somebody you are apprehensive about.