BECK DEMANDS COCKRILL MEET WITH GRIEVING HANKE FAMILY AFTER THEY LEARNED OF HEALTH AUTHORITY INVESTIGATION FROM REPORTERS

Health Minister Hasn’t Yet Reached Out To Family Of Woman Who Died Waiting For Delayed Surgery On Broken Ankle
SASKATOON – Carla Beck is demanding Sask. Party Health Minister Jeremy Cockrill immediately meet with the family of Kirsten Hanke after the grieving family says they only learned through reporters that the Saskatchewan Health Authority had launched a formal investigation into her death.

Beck met with Kirsten’s parents, Shawna and Kelly Hanke, and her partner, Morgan Kirby, on Friday in Saskatoon as the family publicly shared Kirsten’s story and called for answers about the circumstances that led to her death.

Kirsten, 30, broke her ankle in three places on Aug. 12 and was scheduled for surgery at Royal University Hospital three days later. When Kirsten and Kirby arrived for the scheduled procedure, Kirby said hospital staff initially had no record of the surgery. After hours of waiting, the surgery was postponed, and Kirsten was sent home. She later collapsed at home while awaiting surgery and died after being taken to hospital. Her family says they were told blood clots had travelled to her lungs.

On Friday, while the Hanke’s were speaking at a news conference, the Saskatchewan Health Authority confirmed to reporters it had launched a formal internal review and said it would speak with the Hanke family as part of that process.
“This is not how you treat people,” Beck said. “My message to Minister Cockrill is — this isn’t a public relations issue to manage. These are real people struggling to comprehend how their amazing daughter and partner died over something as common and seemingly non-life threatening as a broken ankle.”

Cockrill issued a written statement Friday offering condolences to the Hanke family and saying he expected the SHA to thoroughly examine the circumstances of Kirsten’s death and take appropriate action identified through its review.

“Jeremy Cockrill found the time to issue a statement to the media. He needs to find the time to look this family in the eye, listen to what they went through and answer their questions,” Beck said. “This is about leadership; it’s about taking responsibility for the disaster in Saskatchewan healthcare. Frankly, it’s about growing a spine and doing your job, or stepping aside and letting someone else do better to prevent another senseless tragedy like this.”

In just a week’s time, videos posted by Beck’s team about Hanke’s tragic death have now been viewed collectively more than 1.8 million times. Hundreds have also reached out to share their own stories of how the healthcare system under the Sask. Party failed them or their loved ones.

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