“Negligent operators” should be held responsible, the union’s president said.
NATIONALIZE NURSING HOMES UNDER MEDICARE
An Ontario health-care union is calling for criminal investigations and public inquiries into COVID-19-related deaths in the province’s long-term care homes.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare says Toronto and Peel Region police should open criminal investigations and the Progressive Conservative government and Ontario’s chief coroner need to do public inquiries.
“Both frontline workers and the elderly in our long-term care system are saying the same thing: keep us alive,” the union’s president Sharleen Stewart said in a press release.
“That’s why we’re calling for urgent investigations that will keep people alive and hold negligent operators responsible for the death of our healthcare heroes.”
As of Tuesday morning, 1,003 long-term care residents had died with COVID-19 in Ontario. There are outbreaks of the deadly disease in 218 of the province’s 626 homes, according to numbers collected by Public Health Ontario.
COURTESY SEIU HEALTHCARE
An Ontario health-care union is calling for criminal investigations and public inquiries into COVID-19-related deaths in the province’s long-term care homes.
Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare says Toronto and Peel Region police should open criminal investigations and the Progressive Conservative government and Ontario’s chief coroner need to do public inquiries.
“Both frontline workers and the elderly in our long-term care system are saying the same thing: keep us alive,” the union’s president Sharleen Stewart said in a press release.
“That’s why we’re calling for urgent investigations that will keep people alive and hold negligent operators responsible for the death of our healthcare heroes.”
As of Tuesday morning, 1,003 long-term care residents had died with COVID-19 in Ontario. There are outbreaks of the deadly disease in 218 of the province’s 626 homes, according to numbers collected by Public Health Ontario.
COURTESY SEIU HEALTHCARE
Christine Mandegarian and Arlene Reid both died from COVID-19 while working as personal support workers in Ontario's long-term care sector. Their union wants to see public inquiries and investigations into possible criminal negligence.
SEIU Healthcare has lost three of its members to the virus. Personal support workers (PSW) Christine Mandegarian of Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, Ont., Sharon Roberts of Downsview Long Term Care in North York, Ont., and Arlene Reid of Victorian Order of Nurses Peel, all died after contracting the coronavirus, union spokesperson Corey Johnson told HuffPost Canada.
Mandegarian was 54 and had worked at Altamont for 31 years, according to the Toronto Star.
“She would do whatever she could to make you feel welcomed in her home at any time. She gave her heart to what she did and paid the ultimate price,” a family member told the newspaper.
This is what an angel looks like. Her name is Christine Mandegarian. She worked for 31 years as a PSW. She died as angel while taking care of our most vulnerable. God bless you Christine. pic.twitter.com/RSDHCkBNsG— Steve Ryan (@SteveRyanCP24) April 17, 2020
Roberts was 59 and had worked as a PSW for 24 years.
“She treated these residents like family,” one colleague told CP24. “She was amazing to them.”
Sharon Roberts, 59, dedicated the last 24 years of her life to caring for seniors at Downsview LTC in North York. She is the 3rd PSW to die in Ontario after contracting #Covid_19. Her coworkers tell me she was a beautiful, kind person who treated the home’s residents like family. pic.twitter.com/YDxJH30b4U— Beatrice Vaisman (@BeatriceVaisman) May 3, 2020
Reid was 51 and worked three jobs, The Globe and Mail reports. She was remembered by family as “sassy but very caring.”
This is Arlene Reid, a personal support worker from Brampton - and mother of 5 and grandmother of 3 - who died this week after her family says she contracted COVID-19. She was 51 years old. Deepest condolences to her family. pic.twitter.com/JS6P3bBQ3a— Laura Stone (@l_stone) April 30, 2020
Neither Premier Doug Ford nor Health Minister Christine Elliott said whether they would call a public inquiry when asked about the union’s demand Tuesday. “We are doing everything in our power, not just ourselves — everyone is doing everything in their power to make sure that people in long-term care have sufficient [personal protective equipment],” Ford said.
“When they call, they get it. We’ve been able to move some hospital staff, front-line health-care workers over to long-term care. We’ve called the military in. We’re pulling out all stops on this.”
On the contrary, Reid’s family told the Globe that she was not allowed to wear protective equipment to her job at Heritage House Retirement Home in Mississauga and was scared to go to work.
Elliott listed other measures that have been taken, for instance only allowing visitors if their family member is “imminently” expected to pass away.
“Many steps have been taken and we will continue to take those steps until these outbreaks are under control,” she said.
Police in Toronto and Peel Region did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SEIU Healthcare has lost three of its members to the virus. Personal support workers (PSW) Christine Mandegarian of Altamont Care Community in Scarborough, Ont., Sharon Roberts of Downsview Long Term Care in North York, Ont., and Arlene Reid of Victorian Order of Nurses Peel, all died after contracting the coronavirus, union spokesperson Corey Johnson told HuffPost Canada.
Mandegarian was 54 and had worked at Altamont for 31 years, according to the Toronto Star.
“She would do whatever she could to make you feel welcomed in her home at any time. She gave her heart to what she did and paid the ultimate price,” a family member told the newspaper.
This is what an angel looks like. Her name is Christine Mandegarian. She worked for 31 years as a PSW. She died as angel while taking care of our most vulnerable. God bless you Christine. pic.twitter.com/RSDHCkBNsG— Steve Ryan (@SteveRyanCP24) April 17, 2020
Roberts was 59 and had worked as a PSW for 24 years.
“She treated these residents like family,” one colleague told CP24. “She was amazing to them.”
Sharon Roberts, 59, dedicated the last 24 years of her life to caring for seniors at Downsview LTC in North York. She is the 3rd PSW to die in Ontario after contracting #Covid_19. Her coworkers tell me she was a beautiful, kind person who treated the home’s residents like family. pic.twitter.com/YDxJH30b4U— Beatrice Vaisman (@BeatriceVaisman) May 3, 2020
Reid was 51 and worked three jobs, The Globe and Mail reports. She was remembered by family as “sassy but very caring.”
This is Arlene Reid, a personal support worker from Brampton - and mother of 5 and grandmother of 3 - who died this week after her family says she contracted COVID-19. She was 51 years old. Deepest condolences to her family. pic.twitter.com/JS6P3bBQ3a— Laura Stone (@l_stone) April 30, 2020
Neither Premier Doug Ford nor Health Minister Christine Elliott said whether they would call a public inquiry when asked about the union’s demand Tuesday. “We are doing everything in our power, not just ourselves — everyone is doing everything in their power to make sure that people in long-term care have sufficient [personal protective equipment],” Ford said.
“When they call, they get it. We’ve been able to move some hospital staff, front-line health-care workers over to long-term care. We’ve called the military in. We’re pulling out all stops on this.”
On the contrary, Reid’s family told the Globe that she was not allowed to wear protective equipment to her job at Heritage House Retirement Home in Mississauga and was scared to go to work.
Elliott listed other measures that have been taken, for instance only allowing visitors if their family member is “imminently” expected to pass away.
“Many steps have been taken and we will continue to take those steps until these outbreaks are under control,” she said.
Police in Toronto and Peel Region did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
IN CANADA IT'S THE LAW
BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN IT IS
ENFORCED
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