Jack Danylchuk
Northern News Services
Inuvik (Jun 11/01) - A coroner's inquest may give the public its first unobstructed view of how the Inuvik regional hospital dealt with a Fort McPherson who woman died last summer from tuberculosis.
The inquest into Effie Blake's death opens Tuesday and Chief coroner Percy Kinney said that he may call as many as a dozen witnesses to testify.
Blake spent five weeks in Inuvik hospital last year, but was not diagnosed with tuberculosis until she was transferred to Stanton regional hospital in Yellowknife. She died last July in Edmonton.
Anne Fanning, an expert on tuberculosis commissioned earlier this year by the territorial government to investigate the case, made 26 recommendations aimed at improving care for TB patients.
Not all of Fanning's report was made public, but in the part that was, she said that although the territory's TB program looked good on paper, it was impeded by limitations of staff, training, community support and awareness.
Kinney expects the inquiry to last three days but it could run longer. At least four lawyers will be questioning witnesses, some of who will be giving testimony over the telephone.
The inquest is open to the public.Recommendations from its six-person jury are not binding on the government.
