Joyce Equacan: Outrage in Canada over treatment of a native woman dying


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A nurse has been fired from a Canadian hospital after a video surfaced of a dying native woman screaming in distress and being insulted by staff.

Quebec Premier Franકોois Legoult said the nurse’s remarks were “unacceptable” and “racist”.

He said a full investigation into Joyce Equan’s death would be carried out.

It is the latest in a series to raise questions about the systemic racism faced by Indigenous Canadians.

A 2015 report found that racism against Indigenous peoples in Canada’s healthcare system contributes to their overall poor health outcomes, compared to non-Indigenous Canadians.

what happened?

Mrs. Ikakun, a 37-year-old Atticmacow woman, suffered from abdominal pain and was rushed to Olite Hospital, about 100 miles (45 km) from Montreal.

The mother of seven screamed and filmed herself on a hospital bed screaming for urgent help.

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A staff member can be heard saying to her in French: “You’re as stupid as hell.” Another says Mrs. Ikwan made bad choices in life and asks what her children would think of her behavior.

Ms Echaquan died immediately. Her relatives told Radio-Canada that she has a history of heart trouble and is concerned that she has been given too much morphine.

Has there been a reaction?

The nurse, what she said, is completely unacceptable, is racist and was fired, Premier Legault said at a news conference. “We must fight this racism.”

He announced two investigations. One will be conducted by regional health officials and the other is responsible for investigating a death by a forensic pathologist in suspicious circumstances or due to negligence.

In a tweet, Canadian First Nations advocate and politician Perry Bellegarde said the incident showed that indigenous peoples are discriminated against in Canada’s healthcare system.

The Atticmack Council of Manavan said the remarks clearly showed racism against First Nations.

Gislain Picard, Grand Chief of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, said racism was “often the fruit of government policies that lead to systemic discrimination”.

Mary Hannberg, vice president of Quebec Native Women, said the video was “very difficult to hear and listen to,” the broadcaster CBC reported.

“The statements that are made are not tolerated. It is racist in nature,” he said.

Vigilance for Mrs Equen was held outside Joliet Hospital on Tuesday evening and a fund-raising fundraising campaign has been organized to support her children.

What is the background?

In recent years there has been a fair injustice in Canada by its natives.

A government investigation last year found that Canada was participating in a “race-based genocide” against indigenous women.

Indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be killed or disappeared than other Canadian women, the report said. The inquiry said the reason was deep-rooted colonialism and state inaction.

In June this year, a video of a country chief being repeatedly punched by police during the arrest of Lan Lan Adam is shocking the country.

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Media CitationViolent arrest of D-Lun Foot has been made by the police in tens of thousands of footage

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that in Canada there is a problem of systemic racism in all of our institutions “including all our police forces”. “

In June, health officials in the province of British Columbia launched an investigation amid claims that some hospital staff were betting on the blood alcohol levels of indigenous patients.