A state of emergency has been declared for healthcare services on the James Bay coast.
The Mushkegowuk Council of Chiefs, which represents seven area First Nations, made the declaration today for services in the Mushkegowuk (Weeneebayko) area.
It's due to an overall shortage of health-care professionals, reduced services, infrastructure issues and community members not having access to healthcare, reads a news release.
Mushkegowuk is looking for the full support of Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Ministry of Health to allocate the needed resources for infrastructure. They want the investments to include supporting elements for a fully operational primary care model that includes access to equipment, information technology, systems and process, sustainability and staffing.
Grand Chief Alison Linklater has written to Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu about her "deep disappointment" and serious concerns about the state of the Mushkegowuk health care system.
"The Mushkegowuk Council of Chiefs are demanding immediate action from both the governments of Canada and Ontario by holding immediate tri-lateral talks to develop the required mechanisms to respond to this crisis. Among other actions within the emergency strategy are the following: declaring a state of emergency, establishing a treaty-based political and technical table to resolve immediate, short and long-term healthcare issues including the strengthening of community and regional healthcare systems, and to explore the option of filing a human rights complaint," said Linklater in the statement.
Late last month, Kashechewan First Nation started raising alarms about the severe shortage of primary care nurses in its community.
Typically, the station is staffed by nine nurses. The station administered by First Nations Inuit Health Branch/ISC has been running with two nurses for weeks. Last week, the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority told the Canadian Press there are plans to send a total of six nurses to the community over the month of September. The first nurse was expected to arrive last Friday.
Nearby to Kashechewan. Fort Albany First Nation has also been experiencing challenges.
This summer, the nursing units near the hospital flooded and staff were moved out due to mould contamination, according to a Facebook update from the community.
Mushkegowuk council noted the decades of health-related studies, reports and proposed investments from the provincial and federal governments.
"When we signed the Weeneebayko Area Health Integration Framework Agreement with Canada and Ontario in 2007, our community was promised a new hospital, improved healthcare services, more programming and long-term care services, but instead 15 years later our community members are being denied proper health care," said Kashechewan Chief Gaius Wesley in a news release.
"We are in dire need of health care services. The level of health care in our community would never be allowed to happen in Timmins or Kapuskasing. Something is terribly wrong, this is totally unacceptable, and we need to do something immediately.
