Racial profiling is being blamed for a horror story in the Chilliwack Hospital in B.C.
“Every time I think of it my blood boils,” said Eddie Julian in a telephone interview Friday.
Julian says his former wife, Mary Stewart – a First Nation woman – survived being struck by a semi-trailer truck in the early morning hours last week only to be allegedly kicked out of the Chilliwack Hospital not once but twice the same night.
“Mary was treated worse than the chickens that are being abused on the farms here,” Julian said of the ongoing controversy involving accusations of animal abuse in the area.
He says Stewart, 55, was rushed to the hospital by ambulance where she was examined and x-rayed before a doctor released her. Despite her protests, Julian says a male nurse tried to pull her off a bed by her legs and into a wheelchair.
“She said, ‘I can’t move’,” Julian said, noting he was shocked to hear that.
He said she spent the night in the wheelchair in the pouring rain a block from the hospital after she and her companion where ordered out of the building a second time.
“They were going to wait out the rain before they went outside. A second nurse came and said ‘You have to leave. If you don’t we will call the cops on you.’”
Julian said the pair sought shelter in a covered area nearby with only a sheet over Stewart’s legs for warmth because her pants were cut off by paramedics. She didn’t have a ride or phone.
“Every crack in the sidewalk was excruciating for her,” Julian said. “She was in a lot of pain.”
The pharmacist at a drugstore sent her back to hospital the next morning where Julian says Stewart was diagnosed with multiple fractures, a broken femur and a crushed foot requiring surgery. She remained in hospital Friday, he said.
Julian alleges Stewart was treated in a racist manner because she is Aboriginal (from nearby Skwah First Nation) and a recovering drug addict in a methadone program.
The truck driver fled the scene of the accident east of the downtown core, Julian added, and no police attended until he started making calls. An RCMP constable has since taken Stewart’s statement, he said.
Julian said a hospital official visited Stewart and promised a full investigation.
“We are very sorry about the experience this patient had while being treated in our hospital,” said media spokesperson Nafisa Abdulla in an emailed statement Friday night. “And this is certainly not the level of care we strive for.”
Abdulla said a review of test results shows Stewart was “prematurely discharged” and staff will “continue to support her” as she recovers from her injuries.
She added an Elder has been made available through the hospital’s Indigenous care program.
APTN left messages seeking comment from the RCMP and B.C. First Nations Health Authority.
Julian and Stewart have five children together. He says some of those children are with Stewart at the hospital.
Fraser Health spokesperson Nafisa Abdulla said in an emailed statement.
“A patient safety teview is a process protected under Section 51 of the Evidence Act that enables doctors, nurses and other staff who were involved in a patient’s care to openly review and discuss what happened. The objective is to see if there are opportunities for improvements in our health care system and the care we provide.”
“She said once this is done, next steps including possible changes around “cultural safety” could be implemented.”
NONSENSE !!!!! The hospital must know who was on shift, who signed the chart, who examined her, who told her to leave or they would call the police, etc ! ANYONE of these people who so blantantly and obviously erred, SHOULD BE FIRED IMMEDIDATELY !!!
There is sure a lot of missing information… I am not suggesting they are lying, just it would be nice to hear the whole story and both sides. I am not from the area so I cannot judge how aboriginal people are treated there. But why would they ask them to leave so forcefully? There has to be more to this than just the fact she is native.
Horror story.
Hit by a semi? Broken Bones? Crushed foot ? Multiple other fractures?
Hospital should be sued
The name of this “Doctor” should be published and this doctor should be suspended
Nothing less than a suspension for at least a year (together with retraining and community service)
Unfortunately the nurses are only responding to what the doctor determines.
Personally I think this was more about the victim being a drug addict
than racial, either way there is no excuse
Lol has nothing to do with first nations. My Caucasian 15 year old girl was on the floor in the er writhing in pain throwing up blood. No one would do anything! as every 80 year old with a heart palpitation got put in a bed and rushed in to the er toot sweet. My kid finally fell uncounsious from the pain in the er waiting room washroom, where the nurse looked at us with her clip board on hand and said. “we’ll work on that” and then just walked away!!
I picked up my kid in my arms and stormed in the er at this point, where a older grey curly haired nurse was so rude, uncaring and on the border of belligerent I was having a hard time believing this was even happening.
The doctor then refused to give her anything as she belowed and cried in agony. He treated her like if he gave her anything to stop the pain he was going to single handedly turn her in to a raging addict or something, it was a moment of such uncompassionate care giving by most of the staff that night, the whole event still blows my mind!
If the staff at this hospital are this burned out perhaps staffing should change And the culture of fear with regards to properly medicating patients should be addressed!
Beleive me peopke this is not just a first Nation’s issue. I feel bad for the lady MARY STEWART (so srry you had to go through this). I know who u are and I think ur very nice lady. No matter what race , belief , religion we are. We all have a right to be treated with respect and dignity. You count too Mary Stewart. But I have witnessed this in many hospitals and not too just first Nation’s people.
“As an important step in becoming a doctor, medical students must take the Hippocratic Oath. And one of the promises within the oath is “first” do no harm.
The Indigenous Medicine Wheel forms a circle by attending to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
I suspect that this injured patient sustained harm in all aspects of the “wheel”.
Mary Stewert, your story needs to be heard. We are listening. We wish you well.
Another very sad terrible experience for a patient at CGH……..some staff at that hospital gotta GO!!! I’m not first nations but I believe it when I hear it was racial, there are some workers in that hospital that are racist I’ve seen it and heard it. People that treat people poorly should not be in care of sick people these types of people either hate there jobs or are on burn out, either way they gotta go! The reputation of CGH is terrible. Its the last place I’d go!… I’ve had my own encounter with a nasty mean old Caucasian nurse, I was refusing morphine and she got mad at me and told me to leave cause I was refusing treatment. Its my right to refuse a drug that makes me sick. Not sure what they hire there, but its not any kind of nurse I know with compassion or knowledge. I know there is lots of great nurses and Dr.’s at CGH its the shitty ones ruining the reputation of that hospital and staff, ultimately patients suffer the most I’m really sorry to the lady in this article I hope she got the care she deserved and is getting better.
I’m appaled to hear of this treatment!
I’m a,mixed blood native nurse and I always treated ALL patients with concern and respect. It’s wrong to do anything else when you have trained and taken an oath to care for and treat everyone to the very best of your ability. I believe these folks should be sue till their pockets are dry. It all they understand! Don’t take the worn out words ” we’ll work on training, we’ll addressing. Etc ect. That is just putting you off so you will go away.
I’ve heard those words too many times. They mean NOTHING.collect all your medical records,x-rays, and ask for copies of their notes. Take pictures with and with out casts. Get picture of where you spent the night. Put it all together and either take to tribal Leader (if they will do anything) or phone around to find a “big city” lawyer. They should not charge you anything if they see merit in the case.
Many blessings to you and rapid healing.
Take this to a big city lawyer for sure! The only thing these Jackasses respect is money… and I mean LOTS of it!
Fraser Health executives get paid millions just to go away and find another job. Their severance packages are unbelievable. The fact is those privileged folks make nothing but millions without ever having to come into contact with the unwashed masses!
I want dearly to see those types to be truly sorry! I want to be there when God passes judgement on them.
This is so wrong. I hope people will continue to advocate for a humane level of healthcare at Chilliwack Hospital. This is unacceptable. The fact that it is reported to have happened multiple times, means it is time for ACTION. Do not go quietly into the night, my friends. Make noise and lots of it until there is accountability in place.
So sad to hear that the ones in whom we turn to help us with our Injuries/addictions and who are certified for our Health and Medical care can turn and practice such disgraceful care for an individual whom has not only been in a horrific incident, a life threatening event and obviously she’s a powerful strong woman due to her will and strength to climb the ladder of recovery from her addiction!!! BRAVO Mary, You CAN do this!! Mary you’re a tough girl…I remember in the days of our youth many sleep-overs and we all —your siblings and my siblings younger and older could never keep up to you!!! You got this GIRL!
As for this ordeal with Chilliwack General Hospital = I am so sorry that you received such awful medical attention after the traumatic accident, I truly hope that that was the last of ignorance and unprofessional treatment you will receive throughout the rest of this journey and soon you can celebrate your recovery from your injuries and from your addiction.
I Believe In YOU Mary!
Positive thoughts and prayers are sent your way!!!
Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armor Of God
My siblings and I wish you full recovery,
Love from Willie-Jean (Baby-Doll) and Family
I have had terrible treatment by a hospital in Calgary. A male African nurse told me to shut up while passing kidney stones without pain killers. I guess you would have to be there to see what actually transpired. Anyone with those kinds of injuries should of obviously been taken better care of.
I totally agree with Faith Mills and others who have compassion and a heart. I’m First Nations and I lived with all my life and the same with my late parents and other relatives. We just except it now. We are immuned to this now. Some non native people ask me why do I put up with it? We are a minority’ and this type of behaviour whether in schools, stores, hospitals and or any public settings well I just take it. My feelings are numb and we lost relatives in all aspects of some discrimination. We complained but people of authority just don’t want to get involved and or intimidated by their colleagues etc. At times it hurts and relatives die as a result of neglect or whatever. Because the government tried to take the Indian out of us for many, many years. We just recently are allowed to go into hospitals. Otherwise we were cared for in the basement of the hospital if we are lucky. Just recently we can go upstairs on BC Ferries. We were not allowed to leave the reserve without a pass. If we did the police would throw you in jail. I have had retired employees from dept of Indian affairs come up and say sorry. But they had to follow their laws or protocols. Mind you there are some non native people who wants to make a positive change. How many years did it take to change us? Loss of our lands, resources, mining, water resources, fisheries, highways through our reserve no compensation this is just a small part of how we been mistreated. Yes our residential schools was another form of discrimination, loss of my language I mostly know more Latin then my own language. I don’t want people to pity me we want respect ! By voicing my opinion it’s part of my healing. You the people can’t get rid of us and you cannot get rid of us First Nations. Let’s work together. Our beef is with the government
I’m appalled. This similar thing happened to my family at a hospital in Hamilton Ontario. We called a meeting with the head doctor in charge of the hospital. They assured us they would train the staff and address it but other incidences followed behind us. I’m outraged and disgusted.
Wow he same thing happened to me about 5 years ago, I went to the emergency because I had severe abdominal pain, they said I had bladder infection, I went again the next night they said there’s nothing wrong with you , they sent me home again. Then again I went my stomach was so sore I could barely even walk to the hospital, the next morning I had to phone the ambulance I couldn’t even get out of bed my stomach was so swollen an d sore I could hardly move or breathe it was that painful for me. Just because we r First Nations we get treated like shit ? Terrible terrible finally when the doctor finally looked at me he couldn’t believe his eyes, he said I have a twisted big intestine that’s what causing all the pain he said one more day he said I would’ve died if he hadn’t looked at me when he did. I was in the Chilliwack general hospital where it all started with me to . I was in the hospital over a month after my surgery I had, what a crying shame, just because there’s one rotten apple in the bunch we all get treated like shot at the Chilliwack general hospital by nurses that we’re on night shift!! So Jullian I know exactly what your going through!! I really feel bad for my dear friend u r in my prayers girl. I wish u a speedy recovery again my dear! I felt like sueing that hospital!! I will not never ever support that hospital in any way nomore. I was adopted and raised by a Dutch family to yet?
Very disturbing. That hospital has bad reputation for treating natives wrongly. I know of 2 people who died because they were sick and all they gave them was some liquid medicine insisting it will help them but in turn they died weeks later instead of operating or sending to other hospital. I have a injury that needs stitches and I will not go there for that particular reason. We need more native nurses n doctors around here. These ones are still trying to wipe us out. Totally need to investigate every hospital that treats natives Canada wide. We don’t see any damn Caucasians complaining about the treatments they receive. (Probably treated 10x better n giving proper full medication)
Shame on these “human beings”…..
Did you skip the “oath” part of your program?
Hospitals are “supposed” to be a place of compassion for those in need, and not a place of bias and resentment. “Physician’s do no harm”, this is moto of all hospitals that serve the general public. Treating people with less dignity than others solely based on one’s ethnicity, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity is wrong. The mistreatment of Native women is abusive in its rawest form, and no human should tolerate such abuse.
I am not surprised by this . Disgusting . Should have have never happened . Start paying attention to home plate Trudeau .
For crying out loud (far nicer than the swear words I honestly want to write in my comment here) … has NO ONE in THIS COUNTRY ever HEARD of Winnipeg’s BRIAN SINCLAIR, a disabled, amputee FIRST NATIONS man who DIED while sitting in the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre Emergency Room WAITING to be seen by a Dr. & PROPERLY treated???? Brian Sinclair WAITED 36 HOURS and had been DEAD for AT LEAST 12-15 HOURS if I recall correctly BEFORE hospital emergency room staff even NOTICED & REALISED he was DEAD!!! The level of OPEN DISCRIMINATION across the ENTIRE country AGAINST our FIRST NATIONS, METIS & INUIT people, Canada’s ORIGINAL & TRUE citizens who had their LAND STOLEN by the foreigners & their government LITERALLY MAKES ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!!!! Enough already!!! These discriminatory practices & abuses simply MUST END!!! If they wouldn’t treat a white person in such a shabby manner what the hell makes ANYONE think & believe that they have the right to be treating our FIRST NATIONS, METIS & INUIT people in such a shabby manner is what I would like to know … and someone within ALL the bureaucratic governing entities had better start coming up with answers pretty damned quick, acknowledge that this is what is going on, be held 100% accountable & responsible for allowing this to go on & take the necessary & adequate steps to ENSURE this NEVER happens again!!! Sometimes though … when it comes to bureaucratic governing entities the ONLY way to ENSURE these types of issues/events/incidents are dealt with in an adequate manner to ENSURE such NEVER happens again is to hit them right where it hurts them the most … IN THEIR POCKET BOOK/BANK ACCOUNTS by launching a law suit against them EVERY SINGLE TIME!!! I honestly do NOT know why but that almighty dollar of a law suit seems to be the ONLY method that seems to get any actual action from all these bureaucratic governing entities!!!
This is criminal. Charges should be laid.
Thanks for reporting on this!
Worst hospital out there I will drive to Hope ,Abbotsford or Mission. …they treat people very poorly and are very rude ….this really needs to be addressed
Natives should sue the hell out of them, I know the chilliwack ihospital is in violation of may ethics , when it come to handling mentally handicap , and turning away drug addited people when they should be put into the system under the mental health act and cared for, it is like the doctors and the health system are paid to look the other way, I wonder how may have died because of their bull shit, they should be sued or charge for murder.
Despicable conduct by the Chilliwack general hospital. What happened to process? Professional creed of conduct!?
SMH
What about their fiduciary responsibility for a human being in trauma
I’d like to thank the creator for another day and for guiding many people on a path that crossed ours at a very difficult part of our journey
This is nothing new at Chilliwack General Hospital, I can attest that at least since 1983, when I moved there from Montreal, a non-indigenous woman of colour, they have had a very blatant horrifying attitude towards us. They are a small town minded bunch of goons. I hope and pray that this woman, a traffic accident victim as any one of us can become, has the fortitude to recover despite such neglect and abuse. We all count on the humanity of health care practitioners when we are in trauma, imagine that they ALL have nasty internal bias that results in you being mistreated and potentially, lose your life or your limbs…..you could be overweight, brown skinned from a tan, short, female, young or old and still suffer this kind of inequitable dangerous neglect, just depends on the f’ed up prejudice your nurse holds…..hope the individuals responsible for such shocking cruelty are rendered helpless and in pain on this woman’s property – bet they would still be treated as humans by her….
Appalling!!!
Same old hospital. My son was beaten very badly almost 4 years ago. He had a concussion, broken nose, broken eye socket, broken jaw, crushed cheekbone which needed a steel plate, his upper teeth all had to be pulled, a sore shoulder socket and bruising on his rib cage. The doctor at the Chilliwack Hospital told him to go home and rest up and he should be fine in a few days. No Xrays….nothing! His attacker was a cop and the cops were standing right there because they brought him in after the incident. They picked on the wrong 115 lb guy cause I got mad.
Someone needs to voice outrage with the Chief of Staff, hospital administration, including her doctor and the head nurse who were assigned to her.
CHILLIWACK GENERAL HOSPITAL, SHAME ON YOU.
I will watch for updates on this.
~ Linda Soriano, Seattle, Washington (Lummi Nation).
When my daughter, garndaughter were in a vehicle accident we were treated very badly by a racist ambulance driver. Not only are hospitals bad so are some of the ambulance drivers. :/
Wow!! Just wow!! Shameful conduct by employees at the hospital. Prayer for a speedy recovery.
This hospital has freely given morphine shots , several times to a caucasion 23 yr.old woman from nearby. When Samantha, doe, runs out of money for alcohol and/or pot.
Sue the hospital I’m so fed up with how my people get treated. Enough is enough.
The laws are so weak…..Ppl will support a cause just for the one day that it is held then its back to normal abusive behavior…..prolly no charges will be laid….then they wait it out…..nothing will be done…..
The Dr’s sign a oath, what happened here is not in there oath, We need to tell the NDP we want out human rights back as that was one of the things Lib’s took out, that why, when you work any were the employers are allowed to treat all employees like shit, this is happening every were, but people stand up for animals and not humans, this is why we are going through hell at hospitals and any kind of other care ect, ect. ect.