Stephen Harper's New Conservative Government: incompetent, callous, or both?Aboriginal leaders in Manitoba are horrified that some of the reserves hardest hit by swine flu in the spring have received dozens of body bags from Health Canada.
The body bags — which were sent to the remote northern reserves of Wasagamack, St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill — came in a shipment of hand sanitizers and face masks.
Chief Jerry Knott of Wasagamack First Nation said his community's nursing station received about 30 body bags.
"This disturbed our community members and continues to be a major concern. We had asked for funding so we can get organized and to ensure medicines, hand sanitizers and other preventative kits were in place but, instead, we are shocked to receive the body bags," he said. "To me, this is unacceptable and I am demanding an answer.
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Body Bags Sent to Manitoba Reserves as Prep for H1N1
This is beyond horrifying. Mere months after federal officials dithered about what public health resources and material support should be provided to Aboriginal Reserves in Manitoba, this happens.
5 comments:
I'm going with both callous and incompetent and adding a dash of racist.
What Fern said. Incompetent, callous AND racist.
These indigenous people should be the very first in line for the vaccine when it ships. It's obvious that they're among those hit hardest.
The not-so-new Conservative "government", on the other hand, can all go live on a remote reserve without ANY public services and see how they like it.
There are much worse things being done in preparation for the swine flu outbreak. As a nurse, I see more things being done in anticipation; not sure why the delivery of 30 body bags makes anything worse.
It's not so much the body bags which, as you crisply point out may be required everywhere as the inevitable outcome of an epidemic, but the ongoing display of disrespect and paternalistic treatment from bureaucrats towards Aboriginal communities.
They could start delivering something more constructive than bodybags--like how about working hospitals? How about better sanitation? How about better housing conditions? Granted, it costs more than a plastic bag with a zipper, but it might keep more people out of those bags for longer, and even encourage them to take better care of themselves and lead more productive lives. This thoughtless gesture just tells me that the government has already given up on all of that.
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