A northern Manitoba First Nation that declared a state of emergency due to a suicide crisis earlier this year is about to get a new hospital.
“Today is a big day for our nation. We’ve lost too many people due to the lack of health services in our nation,” said Shirley Robinson, vice-chief of Pimicikamak.
Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott and Pimicikamak Chief Cathy Merrick made the announcement Tuesday in the community, also known as Cross Lake, located more than 500 kilometres north of Winnipeg.
Representatives from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and the Manitoba government were also there, along with Niki Ashton, the NDP MP for the area, and Sheila North Wilson, grand chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), which represents northern Manitoba’s First Nations.
- Pimicikamak declares state of emergency to deal with suicide crisis
- Pimicikamak assembles suicide working group
- Pimicikamak still waiting on promised help for suicide crisis
- Cry for help after four teens take their own lives on Manitoba First Nation
- Cross Lake calling for inquiry into First Nations health care following death of band member
A Pimicikamak spokesperson told CBC News the federal government has committed $40 million to build the hospital, which the community has been requesting for 12 years.
“We are very fortunate that this vision our leaders have had — to look at the health and wellness of our people — it’s become a reality,” said Robinson.
Birth centre, renal unit to be included
Helga Hamilton, director of health programs with Cross Lake Health Services, said the hospital will include a birth centre and a renal dialysis unit.
“It’s exciting news, it’s wonderful news, knowing that now a majority of our patients will be able to remain home,” she said.
Hamilton said the birth centre and renal unit will allow patients needing those services to stay close to home, rather than having to fly to hospitals in other communities to receive care.
Expectant mothers currently have to leave their community for two weeks before giving birth, with no family members allowed to join them, while renal patients have to leave home for several months at a time to receive treatment, Hamilton said.
With the new hospital, she said, doctors and medical staff will be flying to Pimicikamak instead of patients having to leave the community.
“So now they get to stay in the comfort of their own home — go to their appointment, come home,” she said.
Manitoba NDP MP Niki Ashton, left, Pimicikamak Cree Nation Coun. Donnie McKay, Chief Cathy Merrick, vice-chief Shirley Robinson and MLA Amanda Lathlin wait for federal Health Minister Jane Philpott to arrive in the community on Tuesday morning. (Courtesy Helga Hamilton)
State of emergency
Six people in the community took their own lives from December 2015 to March 2016, prompting Robinson to declare the state of emergency. She also asked Health Canada to send a crisis team.
The registered population of Pimicikamak is 8,365, with 5,858 registered as living on the reserve, according to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.
The new hospital will replace the current Pimicikamak nursing station. (CBC)
The present nursing station on the reserve is too small “to meet the standards of care our people so deserved,” Robinson said. “Our people would often be airlifted [to another location]
just to get that medical help they required.
“It [is] a clinical nursing station and many times the waiting room was packed. When we had emergencies, our people would be airlifted to Thompson, which is the nearest hospital, or to Winnipeg, depending on the severity of each case.
“And we had a crisis that started back in December where we lost young lives to suicide and that right there is where the standards of care was not met for our people — the mental health aspect of our nation was not fully met at the time,” Robinson added.
“I know by having this hospital it will provide the services our people do need, do require, and we anticipate to have a mental health section in the hospital where we can provide constant care because losing lives to suicide, it’s unacceptable.”
The plan is to have the design phase completed by December 2016 and shovels in the ground by fall 2017.