CTV: ‘Systemic racism’ of health care needs to be further examined, says new coalition

A coalition will examine issues of what they call “systemic racism” in Canada’s health care system, reported CTV News. The group of academics, aboriginal groups and health professionals say they are disappointed an inquest into the death of Brian Sinclair during a 34-hour wait in a Winnipeg ER didn’t explore “systemic racism” in Canada’s health-care system.

Donna Martin, assistant professor in the faculty of nursing at the University of Manitoba, said the group doesn’t want the issues around Sinclair’s death to end with the inquest, which concluded Thursday.

“It was very disappointing that this issue wasn’t explored in the inquest,” she said. “Racism does occur and it exists in society. To deem that it doesn’t exist in health care is not logical.”