Nunavut health system questioned by grieving mom

An Igloolik, Nunavut, woman whose nine-month-old daughter died this past weekend says she wonders if the territory's health-care system could have done more for her child.

Lizzie Qulitalik told CBC News on Monday that she took her daughter to Igloolik's health centre three times in the past two weeks, after the baby girl came down with flu-like symptoms.

Speaking in Inuktitut, Qulitalik said she trusted the nurses at the local health centre, but she wants to know why her daughter was never flown out of the community for further medical treatment.

"I was in shock and wondered why my baby was not sent out by medevac," Qulitalik said in an interview.

Qulitalik said she waited two days for her first appointment with a nurse, who conducted an X-ray scan of the infant's chest.

According to Qulitalik, the nurse told her the baby's chest was fine, and they were sent home with an oxygen tank, an oxygen mask and some Tylenol.

Qulitalik said her daughter's condition did not improve, so they returned to the health centre two days later.

"I thought the baby was going to get better because I got the sense from the nurses that she would, even though she was very pale," Qulitalik said.

Sent home again

However, Qulitalik said the infant still looked pale and was sleeping a lot in the week after the second appointment.

Qulitalik said she brought her baby to the health centre for a third time on Friday, but they were sent home again.

"We were just told to use the ventilator and give the baby Tylenol, and we were told to rush back to the hospital if [we] see blue lips," she said.

Qulitalik said her daughter was breathing when she checked on her early Saturday morning, but the infant was dead when she woke up a few hours later.

The baby's body was sent out for an autopsy on Saturday.

Officials with Nunavut's Health and Social Services Department told CBC News they would not comment on individual cases.