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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The health department is considering beefing up hospital security after an external review investigated at an incident where a man stabbed himself in the chest in Stanton Territorial Hospital's kitchen.

Health Minister Michael Miltenberger stated two recommendations stemming from the inquiry, conducted by Alberta physician Dr. Douglas C. Perry, will conclude the department's investigation into the incident.

A previous internal review, conducted by the hospital and kept completely confidential, resulted in the kitchen doors now being kept locked.

Allisdair Leishman, a helicopter engineer, was brought to Stanton Territorial Hospital in a state of confusion and possibly suffering from frostbite on Nov. 24, 2009. He later inexplicably stabbed himself in the chest after escaping Stanton Territorial Hospital's emergency room and making his way to the hospital's kitchen where he found a knife.

The first recommendation in the Leishman report calls for the hospital to establish "special constables," essentially security guards with specialized training to deal with different types of patients.

The second recommendation calls on health authorities to work with municipalities to make sure emergency medical service personnel are encouraging family members to accompany patients to hospital, especially in cases where there are potential mental health or communication issues.

Yellowknife's emergency medical services, run through the fire department, already encourage family, legal guardians or spouses to travel with patients via ambulance to the hospital, especially in circumstances where the patient is a child, where there are mental health or communication issues, or when the patient is emotionally upset, according to deputy mayor Mark Heyck, spokesperson for the city while Mayor Gord Van Tighem is out of his office.

Allisdair, 38, now suffers a serious brain injury, according to his mother. She said he's had some success advancing his responsiveness through rehabilitation care in the past, in Ponoka, Alta.'s Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury, as well as Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. But she thinks his responsiveness might fade unless he's given more care, which she said is not available at Stanton.

"There's always hope," said Margaret.

Family friend Faith Embleton said Allisdair can't talk and isn't mobile, but has put out his hand when introduced to new people, and one time erupted into laughter when another patient called one nurse a "prune face."

Margaret said her son is now in extended care, basically left in a room with no stimulus for most of the day, in a wing full of patients suffering from dementia and senility.

'People dying'

"There are people dying at the end of the hallway," said Margaret.

She said she's worried he is not being given the rehabilitative care he should be getting - exercises to improve his motor skills and to stimulate speech function - and wants him placed somewhere else.

In a conference call with media on Monday, Miltenberger said the department was looking at other facilities where Allisdair could be sent.

Margaret said she went to the legislative assembly in March demanding a public, external review of her son's case because she thought elected officials - the policy-makers - would be able to make it happen.

Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy brought forward a motion demanding an external, though not specifically public, review - which became the Leishman report - and it was supported by all the regular MLAs, including Yellowknife MLAs Bob Bromley, Robert Hawkins, Wendy Bisaro, and David Ramsay. Cabinet ministers present, including current Health Minister Miltenberger and former health minister Sandy Lee, abstained from the vote.

Abernethy said he thinks the recommendations will help prevent a situation like Allisdair's from happening again, but had not yet spoken with Margaret to learn how she felt about the government's response.

"The first one is basically the interesting one, in establishing the constables," he said. "That seems like a good thing to me."

He said he hopes the constables will be trained and able to keep patients in their rooms and prevent them from harming themselves or others. He said he'd be interested in seeing how the government would work with municipalities to keep family with patients when taken to hospital emergency rooms.

Miltenberger said the GNWT will be developing a business plan for the security guards over the winter based on models used in Edmonton hospitals, as well as deciding what training the guards will receive and where they will patrol.

"It will be there for the incoming assembly to consider," said Miltenberger.

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