In her debut update, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond who has been tasked with delivering a report to the province outlined the early steps ahead towards collecting information.
The investigation team that has been assembled by the former judge and past advocate for Children in British Columbia includes members with direct clinical experience, knowledge of the health care system and expertise in conducting complex investigations.
The review will be conducted in stages, starting with the investigation of troubling allegations that a ‘game’ has been played in hospital ERs which includes guessing the blood alcohol levels of Indigenous patients, and including a wider look at systemic racism in B.C. health care.
“Our task is to address the specific incidents that have been reported, as well as to gauge the levels of systemic and individual racism that Indigenous people face when using the health care system in general. I’m glad that the minister called for this independent investigation. Based on the emails, calls and stories we have received so far, it is very much needed.” -- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond lead investigator of the Independent Investigation into Indigenous-specific Racism in BC Health Care.
At the time of the first reports, none of the provincial Health Authorities provided any background towards any incidents within their own region, with the Provincial Health Services Authority providing for the statement that spoke for them.
In her Thursday afternoon launch for the investigation, Ms. Turpel-Lafond noted that she has already received greater detail into some of the incidents that have reported, noting that the issue is one that affects all Health Authorities across the province.
"What I am hearing is about concerns that are in all regions of British Columbia, in all Health Authorities. There are specific incidents, in specific emergency rooms. Not only with the issue of playing games around intoxication, other matters that have come forward. Mr. Dix was clear that I needed to look at it and look more broadly if there was incidence of racism, individual or specific elsewhere. So, At this point I can say that there are incidents that I have before me in every health region in British Columbia."
The early stages of the investigation will be to take information from those who have experienced racism in the Health Care sector, with three options available for those wishing to join in the conversation.
A Survey for Indigenous participants is available until July 30th, with the Investigative team seeking out your experiences when seeking and receiving health Care in British Columbia.
You can also share your information by way of email, or by phone; details on accessing all of those elements can be found here.
“I urge Indigenous people to participate in our survey so that we can get an accurate picture of how broad these problems are. This is your chance to speak.” -- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond
You can learn more about the investigation and how to participate from Ms. Turpel-Lafond herself through the video of her Wednesday information session below:
The progress of Ms. Turpel-Lafond's investigation can be followed here.
More notes of interest from the BC Legislature can be found here, while past notes of interest from Northern Health are available here.
For a look at some of the provincial coverage of yesterday's introductory update, see our Victoria Viewpoints archive.
Cross posted from the North Coast Review.
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