[ad_1]
Northern Health apologizes after a provincial report found widespread indigenous specific racism in the BC health system.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health, the regional authority says it is also committed to implementing the 24 recommendations made in the report. Plain Sight: Addressing Indigenous-Specific Racism and Discrimination in British Columbia Healthcare, which was released yesterday (November 30).
“Certainly this report is long overdue, but the investigation is now complete and we have a lot of work to do to change the racist behavior that has been found to be prevalent in the healthcare system in British Columbia,” says the Chairperson of the Board of Health del Norte, Colleen Nyce in an interview with PrinceGeorgeMatters.
“The report’s findings are very disturbing and we at Northern Health accept them without question and are committed to addressing all recommendations.”
Health Minister Adrian Dix commissioned Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a former BC child and youth watchdog and retired judge, in June to investigate allegations that health professionals were playing a “game” to guess the blood alcohol levels of indigenous patients.
Rather than finding direct evidence for the ‘Price is Right’ game, the investigation found clear evidence of a ‘pervasive and insidious problem’ of racism and a lack of cultural security for indigenous peoples seeking health care throughout the health system of British columbia
“Racism has no place in the programs and services of Northern Health facilities,” Nyce adds.
“On behalf of the board of directors, we would like to express where those we serve have experienced racism, we are truly and deeply sorry.”
She says Northern Health is 100 percent committed to implementing the recommendations and providing culturally safe care.
“Regarding the recommendations, it would be naive to think that it will be an easy job: you will acquire a self-examination at the individual and organizational level. We will have to access our personal perspectives and biases, as well as the systems and structures we use, which have contributed to systemic racism and culturally unsafe experiences. “
The report found that systemic racism in the health care system takes the form of abusive interactions, denial of service, improper pain management, people being ignored or rejected, medical errors, and disdain for cultural healing.
This makes indigenous peoples mistrust and avoid the health care system, resulting in limited access to medical treatment and poor health outcomes for indigenous peoples, including high suicide rates, stress, reduced life expectancy, increased rates of chronic diseases and higher infant mortality.
The 24 recommendations include improving accountability by creating a system-wide process to monitor reported racist incidents and improve the complaints process.
Turpel-Lafond also wants BC’s whistleblowing legislation, the Public Interest Disclosure Act, to apply to healthcare workers to create a “speaking culture” where people are no longer afraid to speak up. about racism.
Nyce says creating a complaints system that is easier for indigenous peoples to understand and navigate is a top priority for the authority.
“We have a great team at Northern Health, the board and I are very confident that our team led by our CEO Cathy Ulrich and our Vice President of Indigenous Health, Dr. Margo Greenwood, will take the time now to review this in en. depth and begin to build a solid plan that will apply all 24 recommendations, ”he says.
“In doing that, we have to work closely with the Ministry of Health and the Northern First Nation partnership committee, as well as the Metis Nation and the Northern Health leadership committee to determine the next steps in the plan to move forward together. “.
The bottom line is that hospitals and clinics should be trusted places, Nyce explains.
“We will do everything we can to address and radiate the pervasive and systemic racism that Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond found evident throughout our British Columbia system, not just Northern Health, but the entire British Columbia system and I would risk guess it would be all over Canada this would be found.
“We are the first province to undertake a study like this and I think I would like to acknowledge Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond for completing this important research and also congratulate our Minister of Health, Adrian Dix, for having the courage, foresight and leadership. to commission this report first. “
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, representing seven Northern British Columbia First Nations, is also calling for a definitive change in the province’s healthcare system following the release of this report.
“We have a lot of work to do, but we have taken the very important first step to identify the work that needs to be done so that our system, our hospitals and clinics, as I said, are places of trust,” adds Nyce.
You can read the report examining racism in the BC healthcare system in its entirety online.
– with files from Katie DeRosa, Times Colonist
[ad_2]
