Question Period Note: Joyce’s principle

• We are committed to working with all necessary partners and stakeholders to immediately address racism against Indigenous peoples within Canada’s healthcare systems.

• This is why we recently convened an urgent meeting, bringing together Indigenous, provincial and territorial governments and partners, and health practitioners and regulators to hear about the lived experience of Indigenous patients.

• This is just the beginning and we remain committed to ensuring Indigenous peoples have access to culturally safe and high-quality health services.

A female patient in the mid-thirties, from the community of Manawan was admitted to Joliette Hospital in September 2020 in order to receive urgent care for an acute health issue.

The patient recorded a video of herself during her hospital stay that shows her distress, but most of all, apparent mistreatment, as well as degrading and racist comments from the staff.

Tragically, the patient passed during her hospital stay. The exact cause of death remains unknown.

The video was shared on social media (Facebook) and the story was eventually published on the CBC website (see link below)

http://www.radio-canada.ca/util/postier/suggerer-go.asp?nID=4562889

If pressed on actions taken

• The tragic death of Joyce Echaquan has reminded us that while important initial steps to addressing racism in Canada’s health care system have been taken, we know that more work is needed.

• My Department is taking concrete actions to address this, including providing mandatory cultural safety and competency training to all new employees and receiving regular policy guidance from the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Women’s Wellbeing, which is comprised of National Indigenous Organizations.

• We take this issue very seriously and will continue to work together to address it.