Update from Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond highlights ongoing concerns over Indigenous Health care in B.C.

Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond provided an update Thursday towards
additional data coming from her November report into
Indigenous specific  racism in the BC Health Care system

On Thursday, The Province of British Columbia provided an update on a 2020 Report on Indigenous specific racism in British Columbia's health care system, with former Judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond-Lafond providing some key reviews from the data report findings.

The focus was on the data collected from the surveys and other engagement that was received as part of an call for submissions from those who had experiences to share on their travels through the health care system.

Among some of the findings:

Indigenous residents are more likely to feel unsafe in health care settings and feel that they are never included in their health care decisions.

As well, they also feel that overall they receive poorer service than others seeking health care in the province.

Too many Indigenous people in the province do not have access to family doctors and care services and instead end up seeking assistance through emergency departments at their local hospitals or clinics, with an estimated 75% seeking their care that way

Indigenous children tend not to see a dentist for regular checkups and are up to 8.5 times more likely to be hospitalized

Many of those who responded to the surveys observed that they had experienced discrimination from health care staff based on ancestry

In follow up replies to the update and questions, Health Minister Adrian Dix noted that many of the recommendations have already been implemented and more revisions to health care procedures are underway.

The updated data review is available here.

You can review the presentation from Thursday below:

Our original notes on the report from November can be examined here.

Towards ongoing engagement, the Province will keep both the toll free number and email program in place for the sharing of any incidents of racism that have been witnessed in the health care system.

Click to enlarge for phone number and email address

The update on the In Plain Sight report comes as Northern Health faces a controversy over a January incident at a Kitimat hospital which saw a woman denied care at the local hospital, she then travelled to Terrace for further care after which she subsequently suffered a still born birth. 

That incident was one of the first questions addressed at the Thursday conference, with Ms. Turpel-Lafond noting how it was a disturbing report, offering her condolences to the mother and family that was involved. 

She also called for a proper and thorough review of it and noted she was taking an active interest in the situation.

The Health minister recounted many of the same themes which he noted last week related to the incident, which is now under investigation.

For more notes on the work of the British Columbia Legislature see our archive page.

Further background on Health care in Northwestern BC can be explored here.