by Marty Brown
Northern News Services

NNSL (DEC 11/96) - Poor communication and vague lines of responsibility contributed to the death of Honorine Mary Norn, a six-member coroner's jury has concluded.

The Fort Resolution resident died April 15, 1994, in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton from complications following a routine gall bladder operation in Stanton Regional Hospital in Yellowknife.

Jurors were told that after the operation, infection set in and, although nurses recognized the symptoms, doctors failed to respond immediately.

A radiologist and laboratory technicians weren't called in during the night because they were short-staffed, the jury was told.

While Norn was being prepared to be medevaced to Edmonton, her husband Marcel was notified. But the Chipewyan-speaking man was told there was no room in the air ambulance for him.

He was told there was no air fare money available from Social Services, so he borrowed some.

Marcel Norn drove to the Hay River airport just in time to see the plane take off, so drove with two of his children to Edmonton.

The jury recommended a joint committee of nurses and physicians examine the lines of communication between health care professionals.

Among the other recommendations are:

• Guidelines governing responsibility for alternate consultation when complications arise.
• A process of reporting blood tests to the attending physician, who provides written acknowledgement of having seen the reports be initiated immediately.
• Compassionate travel assistance to be initiated by the attending physician.
• Government funding should be increased to provide interpretation and lab services 24 hours a day, seven days a week.