First Nation leaders urge Manitoba to address systemic racism in health care system

An urgent and poignant message to the Manitoba government to address barriers and systemic racism faced by Indigenous people in the health care system.

A conglomerate of First Nation leaders made the call in Ottawa on Wednesday, stemming from Little Grand Rapids Chief Clinton Keeper, who recently had a troubling experience at Grace Hospital.

“Everybody else that wasn’t Indigenous was seen right away, they got their morphine, their pain medication, whatever, but there was me there for 13 hours, I got nothing whatsoever,” said Little Grand Rapids First Nation Chief Clinton Keeper.

Chief Keeper says after initially being discharged by the hospital after treating a kidney stone, more complications arose, so he returned, only to be neglected other than being asked for a urine sample.

“And I was so weak and confused and tired, I dropped that urinal on myself.  13 hours, I tried asking for new sheets and stuff, so I just lay there in my own urine,” said Chief Keeper.

Keeper says he contacted Grand Chief Jerry Daniels, who personally came to the hospital to advocate on his behalf. Daniels says the incident speaks to a much deeper issue province-wide and nation-wide.

“Hours and hours on a gurney, in a hospital hallway,” said Grand Chief Daniels.

“First Nation citizens have to travel hundreds of kilometers to go into a system that is creating long wait times, language barriers, mobility issues, unfamiliar systems, and continued discrimination.”

CityNews reached out to Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, which said, “Emergency departments across Winnipeg, including Grace Hospital, continue to experience high patient volumes and wait times.

“Work to reduce emergency department wait times in Winnipeg and across Manitoba is ongoing through a systematic approach, with initiatives focused on improving how patients move through hospital care, including faster discharges from inpatient units, earlier clinical assessment through coordinated triage, and expanded care options outside hospital walls so patients can recover safely at home. These efforts are supported by ongoing operational adjustments that respond to daily demand and prioritize patient safety.”

Before adding, “We recognize that all Manitobans expect access to timely, high-quality health care when they need it. Waiting for care in our emergency departments and urgent care centres is difficult, especially when you are sick or in pain. All patients are assessed and triaged upon arrival and care will be provided, with the sickest and most injured patients prioritized.”

The Chief Operating Officer at the Grace Hospital has reached out to Chief Clinton Keeper to discuss his experience, and remains open to connecting with him directly.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara says they have spoken to Chief Keeper about what happened.

“We know improving these outcomes can only happen by listening and by confronting systemic inequities. This is why Manitoba became the first province in Canada to routinely collect race, ethnicity and Indigenous identity data across our hospital system, giving us the information we need to identify inequities, measure progress, and drive improvements in patient care,” said Minister Asagwara in a statement.

Chief Keeper says, “What about the regular person that doesn’t have that title? Once they found out who I was, the health minister apparently called Grace Hospital and I had a bed in 10 minutes.”