Policy change needed after bruised body tangled in tubes presented to family
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Leader Carla Beck and Regina University MLA Aleana Young stood with Gwen Gilbert and called for an investigation into the death of Gwen’s daughter, Andrea Parmar. Andrea tragically lost her life after the Yorkton Regional Health Centre was operating without a doctor in the ICU.
“Short staffing costs lives,” said Beck. “Families should be able to leave their loved-ones at our hospitals knowing that our world-class healthcare workers have the support they need to keep them safe. The least Moe and his ministers can do now is give Gwen and the family the answers they deserve.”
Andrea Parmar was a psychiatric nurse and motivational speaker who lived in Langenburg. She died on March 31, 2022, in the Yorkton Regional Health Centre ICU. Three registered nurses were on shift but no doctor. Once Andrea’s rapidly deteriorating health became apparent, it took 4 hours for an on-call physician to come to the hospital to treat Andrea, though by that time she had died. She was not intubated by hospital staff. No attempt to transfer her to Regina or fly her out with STARS was made.
Gwen recalls that her family received a distressed phone call from Andrea’s nurses urging them to come to the health centre. Once she arrived, she was taken to Andrea’s room and shown her body, which was tangled in tubes, bruised and bloody. Andrea and her family were offered no dignity or compassion.
Gwen and her MLA Aleana Young met with then Health Minister Paul Merriman on May 15, 2023, to discuss the tragedy. The Minister promised an investigation and to report back with answers in 30 days. The Minister never delivered on his promise. Gwen has since written to Health Minister Everett Hindley on September 27 and again on October 16 hoping for answers. She took her concerns to the Legislature today after nine months of frustrated hopes.
“Andrea’s tragic death has scarred her family and the community of Langenburg,” said Young. “No family should have to experience this and I’m incredibly disappointed that this government is still stringing them along.”
Together, Gwen and the Official Opposition called on the Moe government for a full investigation into the death of Andrea Parmar, with a requirement that the results be released publicly after being reviewed with the family. They also called for changes to the SHA’s policy surrounding how the bodies of people who have died in government care are presented to their loved-ones.
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