Kashechewan Elder left on freezing air ambulance

Thursday February 5, 2009

The family of a terminally ill Kashechewan Elder who was left on a freezing cold air ambulance for an hour is still waiting to hear why she was treated in such a manner.

February 5, 2009: Volume 36 #3

“The family is really upset about what happened,” said Mushkegowuk Council Deputy Grand Chief Leo Friday, who is the son-in-law of the Elder, Jane Lazurus, who was left on the air ambulance on Jan. 14 while being transferred from Kingston General Hospital to Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory to be closer to her family. Lazarus passed away Jan. 20.

The Investigation Unit of the Emergency Health Services Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is now investigatingthe incident.

Friday said the woman who was with Lazarus indicated the plane started getting cold about 15 minutes after the engines were turned off by the air ambulance crew upon arrival at the Moosonee airport.

The temperature at the time was about -30 Celsius, with a wind chill of about -45.

Mushkegowuk Council issued a press release Jan. 19, which said Lazarus was left on the air ambulance waiting to be tranfedrred by helicopter to Moose Factory, located five kilometres from Moosonee and across a river.

Howver, the helicopter could not fly due to unfavourable flying conditions.

According to Mushkegowuk, a land ambulance was requested from the James Bay General Hospital in Moosonee, but was unable to respond because it was not authorized to travel on the river ice road.

But in a statement Jan. 28, administration at James Bay General Hospital said they had not been contacted to discuss Lazarus’ transfer to Moose Factory.

The family finally had to transport Lazurus by taxi to the Weeneebayko General Hospital, where she arrived about two hours after landing in Moosonee.

“When she arrived at the hospital, her head was all loose,” Friday said. “She could not even sit up straight. Every time there was a little bump, she cried from all the pain she had. The ice road is not very smooth.”

Friday said the James Bay General Hospital contacted him Jan. 16 to meet with the family, who requested the Weeneebayko General Hospital’s chief executive officer should also be present at the meeting.

As of press time, that meeting hasn’t happened.

“It would have made a difference to (hear) what had happened,” Friday said. “But (the CEO) never showed up to explain what happened.”

Friday and Mushkegowuk Council Grand Chief Stan Louttit both said the Mushkegowuk Council has since received reports from other families along the James Bay coast who have experienced similar incidents.

“It is not right to leave a sick and dying person at the airport,” Friday said. “They should be treated first class.”

The Board of Directors and staff of the James Bay General Hospital stated their sincerest sympathies to the family of Jane Lazarus in their release.

Mushkegowuk Council chiefs plan own inquiry to determine scope of problem

The release also said the James Bay General Hospital cannot comment on the specifics of the case while it is being investigated.

The James Bay General Hospital release also said the only request received by James Bay Ambulance Services was to dispatch the Moose-Factory-JBAS crew to assist the patient from the taxi to Weeneebayko General Hospital’s emergency department as hospital staff were asking for assistance.

Louttit, Friday and Kashechewan Chief Jonathan Solomon all feel that patient transportation must be examined in detail to prevent any further incidents such as this from happening in the future.

Louttit expressed disappointment and shock at how Lazarus was handled.

“The manner in which this whole matter was handled is beyond me,” Louttit said. “All the parties connected to this episode are accountable and I demand a full explanation as to why this patient was handled in such a manner.”

Solomon was also appalled by the incident.

“What she had to endure is totally unacceptable,” Solomon said.

“Part of this incident is due to policy. I want answers.”

The James Bay General Hospital release also said while they deal with inaccessibility at certain times of the year, they must work with their partners to determine contingency plans for those times when the ambulance is unable to use the ice road for patient transfers.

Louttit said during Mushkegowuk Council chief’s meeting on Jan. 22, the chiefs decided to hold their own people’s inquiry in transportation of patients to and from hospitals to determine if similar incidents have happened to more of their residents.

“We’ll go to the communities and hear what has happened to them,” Louttit said. “We want to strengthen the process rather than continue with the status quo.”