Indigenous woman accuses NRHA of racism in suit

A 37-year-old Indigenous woman who’s suing the Northern Regional Health Authority claims negligent medical care and racism left her seriously injured after she had a stroke and went to the Thompson hospital.

Shawna Flett’s lawsuit marks another allegation of racism in Manitoba’s health-care system.

The health authority, a nurse and a doctor employed by the Thompson General Hospital are listed as defendants in the statement of claim that was filed Aug. 15 in the Court of King’s Bench.

“The plaintiff states that owing to her being and presenting as Indigenous, she was discriminated against by each defendant in seeking health care at the hospital, which resulted in her receiving delayed care and treatment,” it says.

The plaintiff sustained “brain damage, neurological harm, motoric impairment, and loss of body function.”

Flett’s lawyer, Martin Pollock, said his client believes she may not have received care urgently because she and her husband are both visibly Indigenous.

“Nothing has been proven — these are allegations that are worthy of exploration, by worth of the way that she felt having been treated in that delayed fashion,” Pollock said.

“What needs to be explored is the culture of receiving patients in this particular hospital.”

According to the claim, Flett arrived at the hospital shortly after noon on Sept. 16, 2023, with a headache and numbness, tingling and weakness to her left face and arm. She had been experiencing symptoms for up to 45 minutes.

She was triaged by the nurse and sent to the waiting room. Three hours later, Flett’s husband spoke to medical staff, warning them his wife was having difficulty speaking, the lawsuit said.

She was given a CT scan around 3:30 p.m., but those results were not provided to the doctor until more than one hour later. Meanwhile, her condition worsened, the lawsuit said.

At 7:39 p.m., the doctor contacted a neurologist through telehealth, who recommended a second CT scan and an angiogram. When those were completed at 8:30 p.m., they revealed a blood clot in Flett’s right proximal internal carotid artery, the claim says.

More consultations and tests were completed and Flett received her first injection of Heparin, an anticoagulant, around 10 p.m., it said.

The lawsuit alleged Flett was a suitable candidate for a different intravenous treatment, called a tissue plasminogen activator, which works to dissolve blood clots but must be administered within a certain time period after symptoms present.

“At all times material, the administration of (intravenous tissue plasminogen activator) was known to each defendant as a standard of care treatment, that timely CT scan imaging of appropriate head and neck structures and consultation with the appropriate specialists… was required,” the lawsuit said.

It said Flett’s treatment was delayed, and caused or contributed to her stroke injuries.

“One would expect that in an equal society, you’re going to get equal treatment,” Pollock said.

Flett spent more than 24 hours in the Thompson hospital while her condition deteriorated. She was airlifted to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, the lawsuit said, and stayed there until Nov. 14, when she was transferred to Riverview Health Centre to complete stroke rehabilitation.

Flett needs to use a wheelchair and cane and has physical, emotional and psychological pain. She is no longer able to continue working as a human resources manager and requires care from her husband.

“This lady was a hard-working, contributing member of society with a very responsible position,” Pollock said.

“Manitobans deserve a higher level of care, and this government has to turn its attention to providing a higher level of care for everybody.”

The lawsuit seeks various damages, with the full amount to be determined through litigation.

A spokesperson for the NRHA said it cannot comment on the lawsuit. No statements of defence have been filed.

This month, the family of Stephen Rockwell said the NRHA admitted to them that racism contributed to his treatment being delayed at the Thompson hospital.

The Indigenous father of three died of cancer last year. His family said concerns about his symptoms weren’t taken seriously during several visits.

Northern Health signed a declaration in 2022 in which it promised more anti-racism education for staff.

The province released a report in June that concluded people of colour, including Indigenous patients, typically wait longer in Winnipeg emergency departments than other people.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca