Manitoba family calling for more to fix the health-care system one year after mom’s death

One year after Debbie Fewster died waiting for heart surgery, her family says not much has changed in the health-care system. Joseph Bernacki explains.

A year after bringing the story of their mother’s death to light and calling for change to the health-care system, a Manitoba family said they don’t feel like change has happened and they are disappointed.

Debbie Fewster was told she needed triple bypass surgery in August 2024 and that she would need it within three weeks.

She was put on a waitlist for surgery but died on Oct. 13, never receiving a call.

Following her death, her family called on the provincial government to adopt a law called Debbie’s Law. The legislation would require health-care providers to tell patients who are waiting for lifesaving surgeries how long a surgery wait would be and what the maximum recommended wait time is.

Since sharing their recommendations, Colleen Dyck, Debbie’s daughter, said new information surrounding her mom’s death has been discovered.

“We were recently presented with the results of an internal inquiry. At its core, what led to mom’s death is tragically simple and preventable, an error,” said Dyck. “A booking form was filled out incorrectly and her file was placed in the wrong pile. Human error, but human error should not cost someone their life, not in a system that should be designed to provide a safety net.”

Dyck said instead of Debbie’s file being marked as urgent, it was mistakenly put in the long-term surgical pile.

Dyck and her family are calling on the provincial government to do more to ensure other Manitobans don’t meet a similar fate as their mom.

She also wants to see accountability for what happened to her mom.

“Failures have consequences. Accountability for human life should be no different. And let me be clear about our intent, we are not here to attack hospitals, cardiac units, (or) frontline professionals. Doctors, nurses and administrators make life-saving decisions every single day under immense pressure. We reject any attempt to scapegoat individuals working in a system that is failing them just as much as it’s failing patients. This is about accountability and that accountability belongs with the government.”

Dyck commented on the NDP’s new health bill – Bill 27 – saying there are good portions being shared, such as a patient safety charter and patient advocates.

But she feels more is needed.

“Where’s the internal accountability? What resources are being committed, and from where? Where is the transparent tracking of wait times and outcomes? Where’s the reporting on how many patients are deteriorating or dying while waiting, because if we’re not measuring these things, how can we confidently say the system is working?” said Dyck.

“Our hope is simple. To create a non-negotiable structure that guarantees patients are informed of all their options when recommended timelines can’t be met. It’s not a big ask. If the system can provide timely care, patients must be told what other alternatives exist, whether that means treatment in another province or another country.”

She said her family is firmly challenging the government to create a system that makes patients the priority and ensures no other family is put in the situation they are currently dealing with.

Speaking to the reporters on Wednesday, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the government is working to streamline communication pathways for patients through Bill 27.

“So that legislation spells out a new approach for patient advocacy officers. These are people who, in the case of maybe the Fewster family or another family, maybe if they had questions about their care, they’re not getting clarity around their care, this is somebody that they could reach out to or they could have been reaching out to who could have acted immediately to give them the answers that they need,” said Asagwara.

The minister noted cardiac surgeries and care are a priority for this government.

“Making sure that Manitobans get their surgeries within the recommended amount of time is a top priority. We have established protocols, which we reinforced by way of that directive, so if there is a circumstance where a patient may not be getting a surgery within that prescribed amount of time, which may be due to a change in their own condition, that is clearly communicated with that patient from a consistent source, from the person who is supposed to be responsible for that information, and they’re given full clarity as to why.”

Progressive Conservative Leader Obby Khan said the NDP needs to be held responsible for long wait times and mistakes like this.

“They need to be held accountable for not passing Debbie’s Law,” said Khan. “Debbie’s Law would prevent incidents, tragic deaths like this, from happening in the future, and yet, this NDP government has voted against recommendations of a grieving family and a bill that we had put forward for the simple ideological reason that it’s from another party.”