STATE OF EMERGENCYManitoba chiefs want H1N1 emergency declared
Updated Wed. Jun. 24 2009 7:54 PM ET
The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG -- Manitoba aboriginalleaders have declared a state of emergency in their communities becauseof H1N1, and they want the federal and provincial governments to do thesame.
"There needs to be an organized plan," said Ron Evans, Grand Chiefof the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. "Someone needs to be responsible.Right now, no one wants to accept responsibility for the FirstNations."
While aboriginals make up a little more than 10 per cent ofManitoba's population, they account for roughly two-thirds of thepeople who have required intensive care for H1N1, according toprovincial health officials.
Evans and other chiefs say they are suffering from a jurisdictionaltussle -- the federal government is responsible for funding health careservices on reserves but doctors, nurses and services are providedthrough the provincial health system.
The issue came to a head this week when some chiefs said HealthCanada was withholding hand sanitizers from flu-stricken reservesbecause they contained alcohol.
"Most of the First Nations that are in Manitoba are not evenprepared. They don't even have sanitizers," said Chief David Harper ofthe Garden Hill First Nation.
By declaring a state of emergency, reserves can now divert moneyfrom other programs to help fight the flu outbreak. A similardeclaration by governments would mean they would have to step upefforts to get extra supplies and health-care workers into hard-hitcommunities, Evans said.
It may even be time to call in the army, according to Harper.
"If Canadian Forces are being sent all over ... the whole world tohelp out, why not in our communities?" Harper said. "We need help."
Manitoba Health Minister Theresa Oswald said the province has beenacting in a situation akin to a state of emergency -- formally calledan incident command status -- since April.
"We have already, in Winnipeg hospitals, invoked emergencyprovisions ... so that we can seamlessly assign nurses to where they'reneeded the most," Oswald said.
"We have been shipping materials to the federal government (forFirst Nations) when they have asked for it -- anti-viral drugs,surgical masks, hand sanitizers."
Manitoba's chief public health officer also has the authority totake emergency measures such as quarantining people or banning publicgatherings in the event of a severe pandemic, but has said to date suchmeasures are not necessary.
Garden Hill and some other communities, however, have cancelledpublic events, saying that without a hospital nearby, they cannot takerisk that the disease could become more widespread.
Liberal MPs who visited the affected native reserves on Tuesdaycondemned the government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, saying therehas been a lack of action in helping the community prevent and copewith the outbreak.
"What we saw was so sad and an embarrassment to all the people of Canada," said Liberal health critic Carolyn Bennett.
"Over half of the residents in Garden Hill and eighty per cent ofthe people of Wasagamack are living without running water or sewers,many without adequate housing. These conditions make it almostimpossible to control an outbreak of infection."
Bennett and Liberal Winnipeg MP Anita Neville were joined in their tour of reserves by Manitoba Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard.
"What we saw was outrageous and unacceptable," said Neville. "Theresidents of Garden Hill have been abandoned by the Conservativegovernment. Meanwhile, there are predictions that a second phase of theH1N1 flu outbreak is on its way in the fall -- we can't let our guarddown for a moment."
Provincial health officials announced Wednesday they had confirmedanother 163 cases of H1N1 in the previous seven days, bringing thetotal to 458. More than one quarter of the cases were from remotenorthern communities.