Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Jan 14/02) - An inquest into the death of a Cape Dorset man serving time at the Baffin Correctional Centre wants justice and hospital officials to improve the way they handle medical information.

Tim Neily, the territory's administrative coroner, said last week that a six-person jury ruled Aipeelie Oshutsiaq, 33, died basically of a heart attack.

The inquest, Nunavut's first, was ordered because Oshutsiaq died while in custody at the Iqaluit-based prison last March. The Nunavut Coroner's Act requires an inquest when an inmate dies in custody.

It was held in Iqaluit Dec. 13 and 14.

Neily said the investigation went well and that after asking several questions, the jury made two recommendations in the hopes that similar deaths will be prevented in the future.

The first advised the two institutions to improve their communications. Neily said that, although poor communication wasn't responsible for Oshutsiaq's death, the jury hopes improved communication could prevent similar incidents from occurring.

"When an inmate is ill at BCC, (the jury) wants to make sure good information goes back and forth between BCC and the hospital," said Neily.

The jury also called for the hiring of translators with medical terminology training, said Neily.

But Ron McCormick, the director of corrections and community justice, said the correctional facility made changes prior to the inquest.

Immediately following Oshutsiaq's death, an internal investigation was conducted. The Justice Department took immediate steps to ensure that the medical information of inmates is available to both the hospital and the prison.

"Anyone who is taken to the hospital, they have to bring the information back and it is placed on their medical file," said McCormick.

Furthermore, McCormick said they did their best to ensure adequate interpretation is provided when required by inmates.

McCormick added that BCC staff are all diligently trained with CPR and first aid.