H1N1 - Manitoba First Nations shipped body bags-Medical Supplies

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | September 17, 2009 at 03:19 am

1337 views | 78 Recommendations | 21 comments

In anticipation of an H1N1 outbreak later on this year, Health Canada has shipped medical supplies to First Nations reserves in Northern Manitoba. Body bags were included as part of the shipment to at least two reserves.

First nations chiefs in northern Manitoba are outraged by this. They believe that this has send an ominous message to their reserve.

Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq has ordered an investigation.

The Opposition Liberal Party Leader Michael Igantieff met the Parliamentary Press Gallery this morning and demanded an apology from the Minister. The Minister had previously said that she was meeting with her provincial counterparts this morning and that she was investigating the situation. Iggy needs to chill out. The BLOC Quebecois and the New Democrats indicated earlier this week that they would vote with the government tomorrow on the Ways and Means bill. Iggy will have to wait until Opposition Day sometime in October to introduce a non-confidence motion.

First Nations chiefs in northern Manitoba say Health Canada sent an ominous message to their reserves this week when dozens of body bags were included in shipments of medical supplies for H1N1 influenza.

Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said on Wednesday she has ordered an investigation into the "disturbing" reports of body-bag shipments to First Nations communities hit hard by the H1N1 flu.

At least four reserves in Manitoba reported they received body bags in shipments from Health Canada on Tuesday. The shipments also included hand sanitizer and face masks.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Mary Richard

at 03:38 on September 17th, 2009

What an insult to the First Nations people. But I thought ALL they got was body bags.

In many First Nations cultures, to prepare for death is to invite death, he said.

"We have been waiting for medical supplies and here all we receive is body bags,” he said. “The government has to do better.”

Oops lost link there, it was the Globe & Mail.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 04:07 on September 17th, 2009

Thanks for this.

Uwe Paschen

at 04:36 on September 17th, 2009

Here in Narita we have now the second wave of H1N1, Some Schools are already closed.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 04:38 on September 17th, 2009

Thanks for this Uwe, could you do a story on it? We are all interested on the disposition of this flu.

Uwe Paschen

at 04:41 on September 17th, 2009

If I find some time I will.

Barry ORegan

at 05:59 on September 17th, 2009

Certainly disturbing

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 06:04 on September 17th, 2009

Yes very disturbing but we need to let the Minister of Health deal with it and find out why this happened.

marianmo

at 08:24 on September 17th, 2009

health issues are generally a provincial matter, interesting to note there is an out break of h1n1 in some remote reserves on vancouver island...everyone take a deep breath and wait for more deyails of what really happened emerge

a211423

at 10:53 on September 17th, 2009

The inclusion of the body bags is incredibly insensitive, and as Blue Crush stated disrespectful to First Nations cultural beliefs.

So far their have been no deaths from H1N1 in the USA though the numbers infected are into the hundreds of thousands.

lorac, please allow me to correct this statement.

Total hospitalizations and deaths from H1N1 in the U.S. to date in 2009 are: 9,076 hospitalizations; 593 deaths as of September 4, 2009 as reported by the Centers for Disease Control.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/090409.htm

Vic De Zen

at 11:25 on September 17th, 2009

Wow! that is an insult. Body bags. This is a subject that is going to be prominent, I'm sure, during the next couple months. The following site is where I have gone to get information on this disease FYI:

http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/updates/archives/hu_09/public/default.html

Doesn't hurt to be safe.

Karen Hatter

at 11:25 on September 17th, 2009

I concur with Blue Crush and A211423, an amazingly callous, insensitive and disrespectful way of handling the shipment.

a211423

at 11:50 on September 17th, 2009

Percentage of Visits for Influenza-like Illness (ILI) Reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network (ILINet), National Summary 2008-2009 and Previous Two Seasons

The information regarding flu-like illness is referring to the graph that was posted in August on the two previous seasons. I interpreted this as being the "activity levels" they referred to in the heading.

My reference is only to the number of hospitalizations and deaths from from H1N1 reported so far this year at the bottom of the page, which you pasted on your comment.

I will search further to check the correctness of a true count of only H1N1 deaths.

a211423

at 12:00 on September 17th, 2009

How many cases of novel H1N1 flu infection have been reported in the United States?

When the novel H1N1 flu outbreak was first detected in mid-April 2009, CDC began working with states to collect, compile and analyze information regarding the novel H1N1 flu outbreak, including the numbers of confirmed and probable cases of disease. From April 15, 2009 to July 24, 2009, states reported a total of 43,771 confirmed and probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection. Of these cases reported, 5,011 people were hospitalized and 302 people died. On July 24, 2009, confirmed and probable case counts were discontinued. Aggregate national reports of hospitalizations and deaths will continue at this time.

Yes, it says "confirmed and probable," so it is an aggregate. But they could not say "confirmed" if some of them were not.

a211423

at 13:14 on September 17th, 2009

lorac

We can discuss the validity of this or that statistic all day long, but the realities of flu pandemic deaths world wide are real:

Russian Flu: 1889-90 1 million deaths

Spanish Flu 1918-20 50 million deaths

Asian Flu 1957-58 1.5-2 million deaths

Hong Kong Flu 1968-69 1 million deaths

H1N1 2009-present 2,000 deaths

The discussion about the collection of aggregate statistics that include other forms of flu with H1N1 pale in the historical data, and it is being used to dilute the necessity for concern and disuade people from getting immunized for H1N1.

The risks of contracting H1N1 out weigh the risks of getting vaccinated, but that is a personal opinion. There are risks with getting any vaccine, but the realities of a pandemic cannot be denied. Unchecked H1N1 could kill millions around the world, to me, that is not a gamble I would want to take.

I know we are on opposite sides of the fence with this, and I respect the right of any one to make up their own minds with all the correct information from which to draw their opinions. That is my only intention for discussing this.

158

at 13:48 on September 17th, 2009

The question is why this was done.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 15:20 on September 17th, 2009

This had to do with providing supplies to a remote area in Manitoba. Body bags should not have been part of it. Government bureaucracy at its best.

Mary Richard

at 19:43 on September 17th, 2009

An apology has come from Health Canada, but unfortunately the damage has been done. The First Nations ask for aid, to prepare for a H1N1 outbreak, they get ... body bags.

A Manitoba Health Canada official apologized for sending body bags to Manitoba First Nations communities this afternoon, explaining that the over 200 post-mortem kits sent to northern communities were never intended to be part of flu kits.

... was a “routine restocking” of remote nursing stations to help them prepare for “unknown and unforeseen events, whether it be a plane crash, environmental disaster or pandemic.”

“It is unfortunate that this has been linked exclusively with H1N1,” he said. “Health Canada apologizes. We all regret the alarm caused by the stocking of this particular item.”

In many First Nations cultures, to prepare for death is to invite death. Late yesterday, several chiefs returned over a dozen of the post-mortem kits to Health Canada in symbolic protest.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 03:38 on September 18th, 2009

Thanks for this Blue Crush:). Much appreciated

Not from Toronto (not verified)

at 06:17 on September 18th, 2009

Body Bags are an insult for sure. But what happen's if and when people start dying. I am very skeptical about this disease because it seems very marketed and its very scary how it is affecting certain ethnic backgrounds more than others. I may be caucasian, however that doesn't make me a eugenicist. I don't think their is a superior race of people, but rather the more mixed we all are the better off we all are.