An inquest is set to start next week to look into the 2021 death of a First Nations woman in St. Catharines, Ont., shortly after she was released from a hospital emergency room visit.
Heather Winterstein was a 24-year-old member of the Cayuga Nation connected to Six Nations of the Grand River.
The Chiefs of Ontario reported that Winterstein visited the emergency department at Marotta Family Hospital for severe back pain on Dec. 9, 2021, where she was given Tylenol and sent home.
It stated that Winterstein returned the next day, collapsed in the waiting area, and later passed away.
The organization representing First Nations chiefs in the province mentioned that no answers have been provided to her friends or family.
“Heather’s death is a tragic reminder of the systemic racism First Nations people continue to face in healthcare,” said Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict in a statement.
“This process must carefully examine whether discrimination, whether overt or not, may have affected the care she received. Any issues that are uncovered by this inquest must be remedied to avoid any more sorrow and pain for our people. All First Nations patients deserve meaningful change and safe health care.”
Read more:
Some staff at St. Catharines Hospital ‘fearful’ of treating Indigenous patients: report
Six Nations mother looking to create ‘Heather’s Law’ after daughter’s death
Ontario’s west region supervising coroner Dr. Karen Schiff mentioned that the inquest examining Winterstein’s death will kick off on Monday morning.
This process is expected to last 13 days and hear from about 22 witnesses, and it will consider recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
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