Quebec nurses order recognizes systemic racism exists in province's health-care system

Quebec's order of nurses is officially recognizing systemic racism in the health system against First Nations and Inuit communities.

The order's announcement Wednesday comes following the death of Joyce Echaquan last fall.

She was an Atikamekw woman who died at the Joliette hospital, the Centre hospitalier régional de Lanaudière, not long after filming staff mocking her in her hospital bed. Her death caught worldwide attention and sparked widespread calls for change.

During the coroner's inquiry into the mother-of-seven's death, her husband and family called on Premier François Legault to recognize that systemic racism against Indigenous people is a reality in Quebec's public institutions.

Legault has received fierce criticism for refusing to acknowledge the existence of any systemic racism in the province.

In June 2020, his administration set up a group to look at ways to counter racism across provincial services, ranging from policing to the education system, even while maintaining there is no evidence of systemic racism in the province.

In a statement released Wednesday, the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) says it recognizes the existence of systemic racism after reviewing the work currently being carried out by a group of experts set up this spring. 

That group is tasked with coming up with culturally sensitive nursing practices for Indigenous patients. A report is expected to be released in November.

The head of the order, Luc Mathieu, says in a statement that recognizing the systemic racism in the health network is crucial to re-establishing trust between nurses and patients right away.

Recognizing the problem exists, he says, will help "put in place structuring actions to promote a more egalitarian and fairer relationship between these communities and the nurses."

The nurses' order is also drafting recommendations for nursing schools.

 The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador is welcoming the recent acknowledgment by Quebec's order of nurses that systemic racism exists in the health-care system.

Assembly Chief Ghislain Picard said in an interview Thursday the order's comments reflect a desire within that organization to fight against racism and to respect Indigenous cultures.

Picard says the next step is for the order to officially adopt Joyce's Principle, which is a set of measures drafted by the Atikamekw community to ensure equitable access to health care for Indigenous patients.