Death of Joyce Echaquan
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| Date | September 28, 2020 |
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| Location | Centre hospitalier de Lanaudière, Joliette, Quebec,  Canada |
Joyce Echaquan was a 37-year-old Atikamekw woman who died on September 28, 2020 in the Centre hospitalier de Lanaudière in Joliette, Quebec. Before her death, she recorded a Facebook Live video that showed healthcare workers abusing her.[1][2]
Incident[edit]
Echaquan, a mother of seven from Manawan, was admitted to the hospital on September 26 for stomach pains.[3] She had prior heart complications that required a pacemaker. Echaquan was given morphine on September 28, despite her concerns that she would have an adverse reaction to it.[4] She had also been restrained to her hospital bed.
Due to Echaquan not trusting the hospital staff, she would often record Facebook Live videos during her hospital visits. Echaquan livestreamed for seven minutes on September 28. During the livestream, at least two hospital employees are heard insulting her in French. While Echaquan was moaning in pain, an employee asked her if she is "done acting stupid." Another employee told Echaquan that she "made some bad choices" and asked what her children would be thinking if they saw her,[1] where she quietly responded with: "That's why I came here."[5] Echaquan was also told that she is only "good for sex," the employees were the ones "paying for this,"[1] and that she was "stupid as hell."[3]
A prior incident where Echaquan was mistreated by the hospital staff occurred in late August 2020. 33-year-old Jennifer Mac Donald, a patient attendant at a local Alzheimer's center who was at the hospital to support her father, overheard Echaquan screaming in a nearby cubicle and expressing concerns about her treatment. Mac Donald described Echaquan's medical attendants as "indifferent" and "verbally aggressive." They were ignoring Echaquan's pleas and one attendant eventually asked out loud: "Will she ever shut up?" At one point, Mac Donald approached Echaquan to see if she could help, but was told by staff to "mind her own business." Mac Donald did not know the woman being mistreated in August was Echaquan until she saw the Facebook livestream and recognized her.[6]
One employee, a nurse, was dismissed from the hospital on September 29.[5] A second employee, an orderly, was dismissed on October 1.[7]
Reactions[edit]
The Quebec premier, François Legault, condemned the medical staff's comments to Echaquan and called them "racist".[2] However, he denied systemic racism having any involvement in her death.[1]
The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, called the incident "the worst form of racism."[8]
Investigation[edit]
The Quebec coroner's office confirmed on September 29 that they would be investigating the circumstances of Echaquan's death.[5]
Echaquan's family is planning to take legal action.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Feith, Jesse (2020-09-30). "Indigenous woman records slurs by hospital staff before her death". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
- ^ a b "Joyce Echaquan: Outcry in Canada over treatment of dying indigenous woman". British Broadcasting Corporation. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- ^ a b Shingler, Benjamin (2020-09-20). "Investigations launched after Atikamekw woman records Quebec hospital staff uttering slurs before her death". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ Kirkup, Kirsty; Thanh Ha, Tu (2020-09-29). "Indigenous woman records slurs, taunts of Quebec hospital staff before her death". Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ a b c Marin, Stephanie (2020-09-29). "Que. nurse fired, coroner to investigate after dying Indigenous woman taunted in hospital". CTV News. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ Feith, Jesse (2020-10-01). "Hospital staff ignored Echaquan's pleas for help in August, woman says". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
- ^ Harrold, Max (2020-10-01). "Second person fired after Indigenous woman taunted before dying in Quebec hospital". CTV News. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
- ^ "Outcry grows over Canada indigenous woman's death". BBC News. 2020-10-01.
- ^ "Family of Joyce Echaquan planning legal action over her death in Quebec hospital". CBC News. 2 October 2020.