First Nations Ombudsperson calls for number of changes in Sask. hospitals

Saskatchewan's First Nations health ombudsperson is sounding the alarm over what they call the worsening treatment of Indigenous patients.

The First Nations Health Ombudsperson is calling for a series of changes in Saskatchewan hospitals after a number of recent complaints against protective services causing harm to First Nations people seeking care.

Dianne Lafond wants to see an independent inquiry not involving the Ministry of Health or the Saskatchewan Health Authority to change a number of policy and practices.

“You can’t police yourself,” Lafond said during a news conference Monday. “You cannot do that. There’s got to be an external body. That’s why our office was created.”

Lafond says there has been a recent trend with complaints being directed at hospital protective services, with those incidents becoming more severe over time. She alleges some people are being left bruised, beaten, or in the case of Trevor Dubois, left dead while seeking care at Saskatchewan hospitals.

Dubois, 36, died after a confrontation with protective services staff at Royal University Hospital on Jan. 9 while being treated for brain cancer. Saskatoon police, the health authority and Lafond’s office are investigating the death. Lafond says Dubois filed a complaint about his treatment in September.

“The families deserve better,” Lafond said. “Trevor deserves better.”

Lafond says her office should be part of the inquiry and called on security guards or contracted security to wear body cameras, have security footage backed up for longer than 30 days and have different mechanisms in place for management to deal with incidents involving security.

“It’s not meant to tear down or to destroy the current system. It’s meant to improve it,” Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Vice-Chief David Pratt said.

On Thursday, Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill launched a third-party review of hospital safety and security at the request of the SHA. Part of the review will look into protective services best practices, opportunities to improve training and additional ways to strengthen partnerships with Indigenous organizations and other health system partners.

Metal detectors were immediately installed at emergency departments in Saskatoon, Regina, North Battleford and Prince Albert, with metal detectors coming to more places in February.

Lafond disagrees with the use of metal detectors, saying it “institutionalizes fear.”

“There’s a lot of change that needs to happen. So, we need to be a part of that independent inquiry. We want to be engaged,” she said.

In a statement, the SHA says it acknowledges the concerns raised by Lafond about racism and discrimination in the health system.

“We will remain engaged with their office as we work to build a safer, more culturally responsive health system,” it said.

Pratt said if the province does not respond favourably to the demanded inquiry, he is ready to organize and launch a class action lawsuit.

Lafond says there have been roughly 550 complaints filed to her office since it was created in July 2023.