Saskatoon police are investigating after a patient at a local hospital died following an altercation with security officers, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).
A “physical altercation” occurred between the patient and the officers during the response, and the health authority said the patient became unresponsive.
Medical staff responded to provide patient care and pronounced the patient dead.
The Saskatoon Police Service were contacted, and the health authority said the police were actively investigating the incident.
SHA said it was fully cooperating with the investigation and has deemed it a “critical incident,” which initiates a legal process of review and reporting, including a formal internal review.
The health authority said it was committed to accountability and ensuring a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff. It added it took the incident “extremely seriously.”
The SHA said it extended “sincere condolences” to the family of the patient, and that it was working with the Saskatoon Tribal Council to provide support to the family and loved ones.
The Saskatoon Tribal Council is an organization that offers programming and services for members of seven local First Nation communities.
The health authority said it was also providing support to staff members that were impacted by the incident.
Prince Albert Hospital
The incident comes less than four weeks after the health authority banned two security guards from a Prince Albert hospital for leaving a patient outside in the freezing cold. Prince Albert is 140 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.The health authority said at the time that it had reviewed the case and determined the security guards’ actions fell short of its standards of care. The guards were working for a contractor of the university.
“The [Saskatchewan Health Authority] has confirmed with the provider that the officers involved are no longer permitted to work at Prince Albert Victoria Hospital or at any other SHA site or facility,” SHA said in a statement.
In mid-December, video circulating online showed guards moving a man in a wheelchair outside the Prince Albert hospital. The video later shows the man lying face-down in snow close to the hospital. Temperatures at that time were below freezing.
Police said they had responded to a call to help the man, who they say was intoxicated and had been evicted from the hospital on Dec. 11.
SHA said the man had been kicked out for being disruptive in the emergency room. It also said it had met with the Prince Albert Grand Council, who had raised concerns over the incident as the patient was indigenous. The health authority said it would work with the council to install an indigenous patient liaison in the emergency room of the hospital.
The health authority said it has been speaking with the security contractor to ensure that it follows proper care practices.
