Alberta First Nation calls for investigation after Indigenous baby’s hospital death

An Indigenous mother is speaking out, two years after a traumatic hospital experience and the death of her newborn in Alberta.

“Not only was I not treated as an equal human being, but my daughter, who was born alive, was denied her very existence as the hospital continues to refuse to provide a time of birth, a time of death, or acknowledge her live birth,” said Pearl Gambler of the Bigstone Cree First Nation.

According to the Treaty 8 First Nation, Gambler says she started experiencing “abnormal pain” in June 2020. Her due date was supposed to be in November.

After consulting with her obstetrician, she says she was directed to the Misericordia Community Hospital, where her doctor told her they had arranged for her to have a bed. However, Gambler says despite her pleas, she was repeatedly turned away, ultimately being directed to the ER.

Eventually, the mother says she was given a bed in the surgical ward, where she later delivered her daughter, Sakihitowin Azaya, as a nurse stood by.

The Treaty 8 First Nation, which provided background on what Gambler experienced two years ago, says the baby was “alive and gasping for air” when it was born. It notes about 20 minutes after Gambler delivered, several nurses arrived, cut the umbilical cord, and then told the mother and her partner that “their daughter was gone.”

Backgrounder: Pearl Gambler’s Experience at Misericordia Community Hospital in Edmonton

In a release, the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation says following the birth and death of Gambler’s daughter, the mother received a lack of care. It notes “she was left alone for hours as she experienced intense post-delivery pain and hemorrhaging.” It says she was taken to surgery more than five hours after her delivery.

The statement continued by saying, “In addition to failing to provide basic care, hospital staff actually referred to Pearl’s deceased daughter as a ‘specimen’ in conversations with the grieving mother in the immediate aftermath of her June 2020 tragedy.”

In a statement to CityNews, the Misericordia Community Hospital says “Covenant Health takes any and all complaints and concerns seriously, including allegations of racism and discrimination.”

“Racism and discrimination in all forms have no place within Covenant Health. Due to privacy legislation, we are unable to provide further commentary on or discuss any specific patient information,” the statement continues.

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In response to Gambler’s story, the Treaty 8 Grand Chief is calling for the following actions to be taken:

• Full implementation of the health recommendations of the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (recommendations 18 to 24), none of which have been completed;
• A Public Inquiry into adverse health effects for Indigenous people in Alberta, including systemic anti-Indigenous discrimination in the healthcare system;
• A hospital-wide review of systemic anti-Indigenous discrimination at Misericordia Community Hospital;
• Implementation of increased and regular Indigenous cultural training across the Alberta healthcare system;
• Ongoing measurement and annual public reporting by the Province of Alberta on Indigenous equity in the healthcare system – including individual reports from each hospital. Measurement and reporting should include health outcomes, reported incidents of discrimination, training, and recommendations for the coming year;
• Expanded network of independent Indigenous Patient Advocates to ensure adequate coverage at every hospital – including necessary funding, training, and technology to effectively advocate for both individual patients and systemic change;
• Increased funding for Indigenous-led, Indigenous-focused health care programs and facilities in Alberta;
• Province-led consultations with Indigenous people and communities to develop and implement further recommendations to improve health outcomes for Indigenous people in Alberta;
• Those responsible for what happened to Pearl, Sakihitowin, and their family, to be held accountable.

“I can guarantee, this would not have happened to a Caucasian woman. What happened to Pearl and her daughter proves that Indigenous lives continue to be less important than others in Alberta’s healthcare system. This has to change, and I am asking Alberta’s new Premier to work with us to make this change,” said Grand Chief Arthur Noskey.

CityNews reached out to Alberta Health Services, which said action is taken against acts of racism and discrimination once the healthcare system is made aware of an issue.

“We know many Indigenous peoples do not seek care for an illness or injury because they do not feel safe or welcome within the health system, or that they believe their cultural traditions will not be respected or understood,” explained AHS. “To improve patient experience and the level of care that Indigenous patients and their families receive in this province, AHS has developed Indigenous Health Commitments: A Roadmap to Wellness, which provides guidance and direction to improve care for all Indigenous peoples in Alberta.”

Before adding various supports and training methods to train staff about the importance of diversity and inclusion, are already in place — including AHS’ Anti-Racism Position Statement and AHS Diversity and Inclusion webpage.