Racism, prejudice contributed to Joyce Echaquan's death in hospital, Quebec coroner's inquiry concludes - Action News
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Racism, prejudice contributed to Joyce Echaquan's death in hospital, Quebec coroner's inquiry concludes

A coroner's report following a three-week inquiry into the death of Joyce Echaquan calls on the Quebec government to recognize the existence of systemic racism and concludes that the racism and prejudice the Atikamekw woman faced in hospital contributed to her death.

Atikamekw woman died ofpulmonary edema last September and was subject to racist remarks by hospital staff

Racism played role in Joyce Echaquan's death, coroner's report says

3 years ago
Duration 4:58
A Quebec coroner's report concluded Friday that the racism and prejudice Joyce Echaquan faced in the hospital contributed to her death last year. The report went on to say that Quebec must acknowledge systemic racism within its institutions.

The Quebec government must recognize the existence of systemic racism within its institutions, according to thecoroner tasked with investigating the death of Joyce Echaquan, who concluded that the racism and prejudice the Atikamekw woman faced in hospital contributed to her death.

Echaquan,a mother of seven,died on Sept. 28, 2020, at a hospital north of Montreal, moments after she recorded footage of herself in hospitalas health-care staff hurled racist remarks at her.

Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of Echaquan'sdeath, which sparked outrage, protests and repeated calls for the province to recognize systemic racism.

Premier Franois Legault has repeatedly denied the existence of systemic racism in Quebec.

An artistic rendering of Joyce Echaquan's face by artist Marie-Eve Turgeon.  The image has often been reproduced at vigils and marches in Quebec.
Visual artist Marie-ve Turgeon drew this portrait of Joyce Echaquan immediately after watching the video Echaquan filmed from her hospital room. The image has since been reproduced and shared in vigils and marches across Quebec. (Submitted by Marie-ve Turgeon)

A three-week coroner's inquiryinto her death was held last spring in Trois-Rivires, Que.

The top recommendation in Quebec coroner Ghane Kamel's report is for the province to acknowledge that systemic racism exists and "makethe commitment to contribute to its elimination."

Although Echaquan's death has been ruled accidental she died ofpulmonary edema the "racism and prejudice Ms. Echaquan faced" contributed to her death, the report said.

Staff assumed Echaquan was in withdrawal

Kamel's report notes that Echaquan's care was affected because medical staff assumed she was suffering from withdrawal.

The gastroenterologist who first saw Echaquan the day before her death suggested the theory, which led him to postpone her colonoscopy exam to the next day.

Other health-care workers also treated her based on that idea, even though there was no evidence to back it up.

Kamel wrote in the report that the assumption that Echaquanwas addicted to drugs was unfounded.

At the hospital, when Echaquan became agitated and complained of heart palpitations, she was given sedatives and no further tests were done.

Given her medical history Echaquan had diabetes and cardiomyopathy Kamel writes that those palpitations should have raised some red flags among health-care staff.

Protesters hold up a sign that reads 'Justice for Joyce.'
Thousands of people took part in a rally in support of Joyce Echaquan in Trois-Rivieres, Que., this summer, demanding 'Justice for Joyce.' (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press)

In the end,Echaquan died of an excess of fluid in the lungs.

The medical expert who spoke during the inquiry, Dr. Alain Vadeboncoeur, said being held in restraints may have worsened her condition because she was lying down, and the liquid kept accumulating.

Kamel said if Echaquan had been treated differently, her death could have been prevented.

"It is therefore my duty, as coroner, to do everything within my power to avoid having another member of the Indigenous community or any other origin receive care such as the kind that was offered to Ms. Echaquan," the report read.

WATCH |Examining the Joyce Echaquan inquiry's top recommendation:

Examining the Joyce Echaquan inquiry's top recommendation

3 years ago
Duration 4:19
Brad Regehr, former president of the Canadian Bar Association, joins Power & Politics to discuss the Quebec coroner's recommendation for the provincial government to recognize the existence of systemic racism within its institutions following the conclusion of an inquiry into the death of Atikamekw woman Joyce Echaquan in a Quebec hospital last year.

In her report, Kamel said the nurse and patient attendant who treated Echaquan atthe Centre hospitalier de Lanaudire in Joliette. Que., denied having racial prejudices, and other health-care staff who were made aware of the video recording did not treat the matter seriously.

"If it weren't for the video footage, it's a safe bet that this event would've never been brought to the public's attention," the report reads.

"When the system [gets defensive], it is the very definition of systemic racism."

When the inquiry wrapped up last May, Kamelpromised to make sure the Atikamekw woman's death would not be in vain, telling her family that a "small revolution of reconciliation" had started thanks to Echaquan.

Other recommendations in the report include calling on Quebec's college of physicians and order of nurses to review the actions of its members leading up to Echaquan's death.

The coroner has declined to comment on her findings. She is scheduled to hold a news conference next Tuesday. A spokesperson for Legault told CBC News the premierwould not commentbefore then.

Last May, Quebec Coroner Ghane Kamel presided over a three-week inquiry into Echaquan's death. She concluded that although the Atikamekw woman died of pulmonary edema last September, the racism and prejudice she experienced while in hospital were contributing factors. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)

Premier Legault doubled down on denial

In the wake of Echaquan's death, Atikamekw leaders in Quebec drafted Joyce's Principle,a set of recommendations meantto guarantee health care forIndigenous people, free of discrimination, by having it enshrined in provincial law.

The province has refused to draft legislation that included tenets from Joyce's Principle because they referencedsystemic racism.

On Thursday, Indigenous communities across Canada celebrated the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Leading up to the federal statutory holiday, Legaultonce again said his governmentcould not adopt Joyce's Principle.

"There's a large majority of Quebecers that say there is no racist system in Quebec," Legault said on Wednesday.

"There are racist people, but it's not true that the education network, the health care network have racist systems. I don't think there is [a system]. There are Quebecers who think there is one. We have to respect each other, but we have to work together to fight against racism."

When asked during a news conference on Friday if the province is open to recognizing systemic racism,Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubsaid he needed time to read the report.

Dubalso said the province is already in the processof implementing measures to improve the treatment of Indigenous people in health-care facilities.

WATCH|Echaquan's husband speaks after testifying:

Joyce Echaquans husband testifies at inquiry into hospital death

3 years ago
Duration 2:04
An inquiry has begun into the death of a Atikamekw woman who died at a Quebec hospital where staff hurled racist insults at her. Joyce Echaquan's husband fought back tears as he spoke about his partner of 23 years.

Earlier this year, the regional health authority that oversees the hospital where Echaquan died announced plans to hire twocommunity liaisons, roles that were to be filled by people from the Atikamekw community.

In her report, Kamelalso stated that the hospital should make sure to properly integrate the community liaisons within its teams.

The coroner is also calling on the province's Education Ministry to make sure colleges and universities that train health-care staff teach students about the realities of Indigenous patients.

She also said schools should offer more internships to Indigenous students.

With files from Julia Page