Little progress made to combat anti-Indigenous racism in B.C. health care: report
A progress report on a plan to address anti-Indigenous racism in British Columbia's health-care system says Aboriginal patients continue to disproportionately die as a result of the impacts of racism and the two ongoing public-health emergencies.
Retired judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond wrote the original report, In Plain Sight, released last year, and on Tuesday she reported that progress has been made in 10 of the 24 recommendations.
Apologies have been issued from governing bodies, Indigenous leaders have been recruited across the health authorities to aid in systemic change and the government introduced Bill 18, an amendment to the B.C. Human Rights Code to include Indigenous identity as a protected ground from discrimination.
Despite these strides, the review says “the fundamental issues remain in plain sight,” with many recommendations seeing “little, if any” movement since the report was released last November.
“There's been some significant planning efforts in the past year, but there are persistent problems,” Turpel-Lafond said. “Efforts have not meaningfully disrupted the status quo.”
She said she continually receives “disturbing complaints about racism occurring at the point of care, and about the ongoing inadequacy of complaints processes.”
Little has been done to realign relationships between provincial and Indigenous governments, Turpel-Lafond said.
“First Nations, Metis, and provincial government leaders have endorsed the report, yet ineffective collaboration has slowed improvement where it is needed the most.”
She said streamlining is needed to add resources for those carrying out the work and to ensure there is accountability with oversight from Indigenous governments.
The B.C. government didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this year, the province released a draft of its five-year plan to implement all 24 recommendations under theDeclaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.
“We understand it's going to take some time, but there are some things that could have been done in the first year that weren't, and I'm not sure why but I think they're important elements of change,” Turpel-Lafond said in an interview.
She pointed to the lack of whistleblower legislation to the health-care sector to promote a “speak-up culture” for employees to address racism, discrimination or wrongdoing without fear of repercussions.
In the review, Turpel-Lafond calls on the provincial government to release a more comprehensive update on the recommendations by next November.
“I do feel like British Columbia is in a different position than other provinces because at least we're addressing it. We may not be able to say that there is no longer systemic or individual discrimination in health care, but we aren't denying it,” she said.
“I don't tell (the government) how to do their work, but this year they weren't reporting out, so I thought it would be important to do a statement and to push and urge them to continue on this path.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2021.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Train derailed in Sarnia after colliding with a truck
Police are investigating after a transport truck collided with a train in Sarnia.
Fewer medical students going into family medicine contributing to doctor shortage
As some family doctors are retiring and others are moving away from family medicine, there are fewer medical students to take their place.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.