Feds slow to respond to First Nation pandemic planning: Manitoba

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Feds slow to respond to First Nation pandemic planning: Manitoba

By Mia Rabson, Winnipeg Free PressJune 4, 2009
The Manitoba government had offered Ottawa help with pandemic planning on First Nations 13 times since May 4 but was turned down every time until Wednesday — the day it was revealed that 12 residents of a remote northern reserve had been hospitalized with flu symptoms.

Health Minister Theresa Oswald made the revelation Thursday as she expressed frustration at the federal government's response to the H1N1 flu outbreak when it comes to First Nations like St. Theresa Point, saying the province has been prevented from doing more because it doesn't have jurisdiction.

On Thursday, Ottawa asked for additional help with supplies and the province sent masks and antiviral medication to St. Theresa Point, about 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. Oswald said the province had offered to provide antiviral medications for reserves repeatedly in the last month.

"It's the federal government's job to ask us if they need some (antivirals), and that's, of course, part of what we've been asking them 13 times," she said.

She said the province's stockpile includes enough of the medication for First Nations.

Meanwhile, St. Theresa Point Chief David McDougall pleaded for understanding and tolerance for his swine-flu afflicted community on Thursday, saying that residents have been met with fear and paranoia.

So far just two confirmed cases of swine flu from remote, fly-in community located 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

However, there are 21 people from the reserve in hospital in Winnipeg and hundreds more in the community itself have registered with the nursing station as suffering from respiratory symptoms.

"Those are all pending confirmation if they are in fact infected by this (swine flu) virus," the chief said at a news conference.

He said members of his community were recently asked to leave at least one hotel over fears they could be sick.

"Just to be in the same room with me is not a death sentence for anybody," McDougall said, adding later: "As far as I'm concerned, there's no panic right now."


McDougall stressed there have been more confirmed cases in Winnipeg than in St. Theresa Point, a community of 3,200 people


McDougall said two of his own nieces are in critical condition at St. Boniface hospital in Winnipeg.


"There have been some frightening moments throughout the course of their treatment," he said.


He has said his community lacks the infrastructure to deal with a full-scale outbreak, and that a potential pandemic could spread quickly, since residents live in overcrowded homes.


Manitoba's health minister said Wednesday that province was asked to help find housing for family members coming to Winnipeg with sick loved ones because they were having difficulty finding hotel rooms.


Meanwhile, at least 100 students at a Regina elementary school are likely infected with the swine flu virus, said a top physician with the local health region.


One student from Massey School tested positive for the virus Thursday, but 150 students are out sick and most of those are expected to have the illness, according to Dr. Maurice Hennink, deputy medical health officer for the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region.


"It's circulating in our community," he said. "We expect some more tests to come back positive."


Hennink said many of those infected might not take the test, meaning the 153 confirmed cases in the province do not provide a full picture.


The Manitoba government, federal health officials and First Nations leaders have met weekly since the swine flu outbreak began a month ago, to work on pandemic planning on First Nations.


In 2005, the Public Health Agency of Canada's report on pandemic planning outlined a number of outstanding issues related to preparing for an outbreak on reserves, including a lack of formal agreements dividing responsibilities between the federal and provincial governments for responding to health emergencies and the lack of pandemic plans on First Nations. The report also said there needed to be a clear protocol for ensuring the provinces' antiviral stockpiles were accounting for First Nations, and how First Nations could access the drugs when they were needed.


A spokeswoman for Health Canada said the department and Manitoba are close to an agreement on how to deal with pandemics on reserves. However, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq did not respond to the concern Oswald raised.

© Copyright (c) Winnipeg Free Press

Other posts on this topic:
June 10: No Doctors, No Nurses, but emergency hand sanitizer is on its way
June 6: If it isn't racism, what is it?http://crazybitchesrus.blogspot.com/2009/06/please-follow-this-story-please-write.html
June 5: Feds slow to respond to First Nation pandemic planning: Manitoba
June 4: Another update H1N1
June 3:More on H1N1 at St. Theresa Point First Nation
June 2: Please follow this story. Please write to your MP

PROGRESSIVE BLOGGERS

Please follow this story. Please write to your MP.

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It is looking likely that the H1N1 virus has hit a First Nations community (see article below.) When the H1N1 flu originally hit in Canada, the cases were milder than the cases in Mexico. Many have speculated that this is because of the difference in health status.

Yet in Canada health status can vary. Many First Nations live in overcrowded housing, which facilitates the spread of disease. Poverty, food insecurity, the presence of mould in homes, the higher rates of diabetes, TB, cardiovascular illness etc all work to lower the immune systems of First Nations people and make them more vulnerable to disease. (health stats)

Add this to a lack of access to medical services - it is estimated that 1 in 5 First Nations people can't access a doctor or a nurse in their community - and you have a recipe for disaster.

Now a severe flu, likely the H1N1 has hit a First Nation. As you can see in this story, the First Nation only hatched together a pandemic plan after ths flu hit.
Why? Well, it's difficult for a First Nation to pull together a pandemic plan, not only because of the lack of health services and professionals, but because jurisdictional disputes between federal departments (Health Canada and INAC) and between federal and provincial/territorial governments as well. These disputes prevent First Nations from accessing health care at the best of times. (see this news story, or this one)

Often governments argue over who should provide the service and have refused to offer health services because each wants to stick the other with the bill. The scenario is known in Indian country as "Jordan's Principle" named after a child who had to live three years in a hospital because federal and provincial governments fought over who would pay for his medical supports if he went home. The eventually solved the dispute, but Jordan never got to go home. He became ill again and died in the hospital.

So I am asking that you please follow this story, and am asking also that you write your federal MP, plus your provincial representative and ask them to get moving on including First Nations in pandemic planning before a disaster (or I guess bigger disaster) hits. Also if you can tell them to adopt Jordan's Principle (they know what it is) and end discrimination against First Nations children in the health care system that would be good too.

Suspected H1N1 flu outbreak hits reserve
By: Jen Skerritt



A remote First Nations community has shut down its school over heightened concern a severe flu is spreading among area residents. St. Theresa Point First Nation Chief David McDougall said today an additional five children suffering from severe flu-like symptoms were flown to Winnipeg on Monday night.

Over the last week, seven people suffering from severe flu-like symptoms were medivaced to Winnipeg in the last week, including two pregnant women who were sent to St. Boniface Hospital’s intensive care unit. One woman lost her child as a result of the illness. Health officials have flown in at least two additional nurses and two doctors to deal with the emerging respiratory crisis in the remote community, located 500 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Lab tests haven’t confirmed the cause of the illness, but public health officials suspect the respiratory virus could be H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu. Residents have been told to avoid public gatherings and stay home if they're sick to stop the spread of the disease. "There was a spike in the number of cases brought to the nurses' station with flu-like symptoms," McDougall said. "It was a red flag."

St. Theresa Point community leaders held a meeting Monday afternoon to discuss how to pull together a pandemic plan. McDougall said the community lacks the infrastructure to deal with a full-scale outbreak and that a potential pandemic could spread quickly since residents live in overcrowded homes.

He said community leaders are trying to quell public fear and keep residents from panicking. "There's a respiratory problem and of course that's always a concern," McDougall said. "We're trying to figure out what the best response is."

McDougall said Health Canada and Manitoba Health are working with St. Theresa Point to investigate the spike in illnesses.

jen.skerritt@freepress.mb.ca

Other posts on this topic:
June 10: No Doctors, No Nurses, but emergency hand sanitizer is on its way
June 6: If it isn't racism, what is it?http://crazybitchesrus.blogspot.com/2009/06/please-follow-this-story-please-write.html
June 5: Feds slow to respond to First Nation pandemic planning: Manitoba
June 4: Another update H1N1
June 3:More on H1N1 at St. Theresa Point First Nation
June 2: Please follow this story. Please write to your MP

PROGRESSIVE BLOGGERS