Question Period Note: Systemic racism in Health Care

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

• Indigenous Services Canada has taken action to address this issue. The Department 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.

Joyce Echaquan

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 where we can witness 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 today. 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
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s report

On June 19, 2020, Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond was appointed by British Columbia’s Minister of Health to conduct a review of Indigenous-specific racism in the provincial health care system. The purpose of the investigation focused on alleged incidents of Indigenous-specific racism in emergency departments in B.C. Her report, entitled “In Plain Sight” was released on November 30, 2020.

The report contained twenty-four recommendations to address anti-Indigenous racism in health care in British Columbia. While the recommendations were not directed to the federal government, the report did identify a number of areas where federal actions could be helpful to eliminate all forms of discrimination against Indigenous peoples, including:
• Federal legislation to specifically implement the UN Declaration to bring the federal laws, policies and practices in conformity with the Indigenous human rights, principles and standards in the UN Declaration;
• Federal Indigenous-specific health legislation and other legislative amendments which explicitly make cultural safety a desired outcome or requirement of quality within Canada’s health care system;
• Federal health regulatory standards that address anti-racism, cultural humility and trauma informed practices; and,
• Direct support by national health organizations to identify measures and tools to address antiracism, encourage cultural humility, and promote trauma-informed practices throughout all spheres of authority and work.

In follow up to the recent urgent meeting held in October to address racism experienced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada’s Health Care system, a second gathering has been scheduled for January 2021. This meeting will provide an opportunity for meeting participants (including the Government of Canada, Indigenous leaders and organizations, and provincial and territorial governments) to identify short term, concrete actions that can be taken to address this systemic issue. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s report will be a valuable guide and resource for identifying concrete next steps and actions to be taken by all levels of government.

Indigenous Services Canada is committed to equitable and culturally-safe, community-led, community-driven and distinctions-based approaches to health care. BC’s First Nations Health Authority is the first province-wide health authority of its kind in Canada. In 2013, the First Nations Health Authority assumed the programs, services, and responsibilities formerly handled by the Government of Canada’s First Nations Inuit Health Branch. Indigenous Services Canada is in regular contact with the First Nations Health Authority, which is the lead on health protection measures and health preparedness measures for First Nations communities in BC.

If pressed on Joyce’s principle

• The 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.

• ISC is also a proud signatory to the Declaration of Commitment on cultural safety and Humility along with FNHA, Health Canada and the PHAC colleagues.

• We take this issue very seriously and will continue to work together to address it.
If pressed on Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s report “In Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-specific Racism and Discrimination in B.C. Health Care”

• The Government of Canada remains committed to working with provincial and territorial governments, professional colleges, and Indigenous partners to increase safety and respect in Canada’s health care system.