St. Theresa Point Chief David McDougall (L) confers with Island Lake Tribal Council Director of Health Robert Flett during a press conference about the H1N1 cases in the remote northern Manitoba community June 4, 2009, at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs office in Winnipeg.Photograph by: Mike Aporius , Winnipeg Free Press WINNIPEG - The spread of swine flu to two isolated First Nations in Manitoba is a crisis says one chief because his community doesn't have the basic medical resources to deal with the situation.
Manitoba Health is working to find a doctor to send to the one of the communities, the Garden Hill First Nation, in northeastern Manitoba, but that may not happen until next week. Access is limited to the area, about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
“We need to set up a temporary hospital base right within the region, that is what's urgently needed," Garden Hill Chief David Harper said Wednesday, referring to the Island Lake region that encompasses three other First Nations communities, including St. Theresa Point, where the H1N1 flu emerged last week.
"The amount of medevacs that we've had in one month would almost pay for a hospital. It would definitely pay for a hospital."
But Harper said he's struggling to bring in even the most basic medical equipment, such as masks, gloves, sanitization equipment and antivirals.
The supplies were ordered last week through the local nursing station, but Harper said they still haven't arrived.
He said if they don't show up soon, he'll pay for the equipment out of his own pocket.
"Whatever it takes," he said. "We're in a war zone, we have to protect . . . our children. Especially our children, and our elderly."
Harper said Island Lake leaders were asking their communities to limit travel in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
"We're fighting an invisible enemy and it's coming into our community," he said.
Harper's call for aid came as Sydney Garrioch, grand chief of the Manitoba Keewatinook Ininew Okimowin - an organization that represents 30 northern First Nations communities - said four of the 16 new cases of H1N1 confirmed by the province Wednesday were from the Island Lake region.
Manitoba Health assistant deputy minister Terry Goertzen said the department was still working to secure physicians that could be flown into the Island Lake region.
Jim Wolfe, the regional director for Health Canada's aboriginal branch in Manitoba, said a decision had been made to send hand sanitizer to all First Nations, starting with the northern communities.
By Arielle Godbout, Winnipeg Free Press
arielle.godboutfreepress.mb.ca
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Health/First+Nation+swine+struggling+medical+supplies+chief/1685292/story.html
Manitoba Health is working to find a doctor to send to the one of the communities, the Garden Hill First Nation, in northeastern Manitoba, but that may not happen until next week. Access is limited to the area, about 600 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.
“We need to set up a temporary hospital base right within the region, that is what's urgently needed," Garden Hill Chief David Harper said Wednesday, referring to the Island Lake region that encompasses three other First Nations communities, including St. Theresa Point, where the H1N1 flu emerged last week.
"The amount of medevacs that we've had in one month would almost pay for a hospital. It would definitely pay for a hospital."
But Harper said he's struggling to bring in even the most basic medical equipment, such as masks, gloves, sanitization equipment and antivirals.
The supplies were ordered last week through the local nursing station, but Harper said they still haven't arrived.
He said if they don't show up soon, he'll pay for the equipment out of his own pocket.
"Whatever it takes," he said. "We're in a war zone, we have to protect . . . our children. Especially our children, and our elderly."
Harper said Island Lake leaders were asking their communities to limit travel in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
"We're fighting an invisible enemy and it's coming into our community," he said.
Harper's call for aid came as Sydney Garrioch, grand chief of the Manitoba Keewatinook Ininew Okimowin - an organization that represents 30 northern First Nations communities - said four of the 16 new cases of H1N1 confirmed by the province Wednesday were from the Island Lake region.
Manitoba Health assistant deputy minister Terry Goertzen said the department was still working to secure physicians that could be flown into the Island Lake region.
Jim Wolfe, the regional director for Health Canada's aboriginal branch in Manitoba, said a decision had been made to send hand sanitizer to all First Nations, starting with the northern communities.
By Arielle Godbout, Winnipeg Free Press
arielle.godboutfreepress.mb.ca
© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Health/First+Nation+swine+struggling+medical+supplies+chief/1685292/story.html
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