Health centre subject of probe
Minister orders independent review after 2012 death of infant
Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services
Published Monday, November 17, 2014
KINNGAIT/CAPE DORSET
Nunavut's health minister has "directed (her) department to conduct an external independent review of the administrative processes" involved in allegations of wrong-doing at the Cape Dorset health centre and mishandling at the department level, Monica Ell announced Oct. 6 in the legislative assembly.
Ell made her announcement in response to a statement by Cape Dorset MLA David Joanasie in Question Period.
"As I noted in my member's statement, a recent incident involving the health centre in Cape Dorset has been the subject of a major news story ... I do not expect the minister to go into the details about any ongoing investigations. However, I would like her to indicate to the house what lessons the department has learned from this unfortunate experience," said Joanasie.
The allegations involve the death of an infant in 2012, numerous and ongoing complaints about a nurse, who would later be promoted to the top position at the health centre, and the handling of the situation by the Department of Health. Complaints continued over a three-year period.
"The issues raised in this news story are troubling about the manner in which the government handled concerns about the services being provided at the community's health centre," Joanasie first said in his member's statement, which he could not conclude due to Ell denying him unanimous consent when his time ran out.
He returned to the matter during Question Period and, after learning of the external review, asked what message the minister might have for health-care professionals and ordinary Nunavummiut about the issue.
"The well-being of all Nunavummiut and the level of service that we provide in our health centres are vital. For that reason, we did an internal review and it was conducted at an operational level."
According to documents made public by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Roy Ingangasuk, then regional director of health, stated in an e-mail dated Jan. 9, 2014, that, "I believe we missed the boat on this file after the death of the infant. Another nurse had to make an official complaint surrounding the unfortunate death of the infant and our region/department did not do due diligence regarding the serious incident. Your thoughts please?"
The three-month-old infant allegedly died of a common viral infection because the nurse refused to see him.
The news story further alleges that the Government of Nunavut put the community's health at risk by promoting that same nurse to the acting nurse-in-charge position despite the fact that her licence had been restricted by the Registered Nurses Association of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
