Police called on Cree family trying to access care for baby in distress in northern Quebec – CBC.ca

Members of a Cree family in northern Quebec saythey were in shock after police were called to a local medical clinicwherethey were trying to get help for a baby in distress in the middle of the night.

"I was shaking uncontrollably.I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat," said the baby's mom, Jade Mukash, who lives in the fly-in Cree community of Whapmagoostui, Que., about 1,200 kilometre north of Montreal.

Eleven-month-old Slashhas eczema and was showing signs of an infection that he'd received antibiotics for before. Early Tuesday morning, after he'd been lethargic for two days, the family noticed Slash'sfeet and lips were blue, Mukash said.

At around 1 a.m., Mukash, 22, called the local medical clinic,run by the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay. Its staff includes Cree health care workers and many non-Indigenous nurses and doctors who often fly in on a rotating basis.

After initially refusing to see the boy, the nurse on duty eventually agreed over the phone that theycouldbring him in,Mukashsaid. But tensions escalated, and at one point during the phone call, the nurse said she felt "unsafe" and threatened to call police, Mukash said.

Mukash, along with her partner, Slash's father, and other family members brought the baby to the clinic. There were two nurses on duty, but no doctor, she said.

Mukash said tensions were still high at the clinicas she insisted during the consultation with the nurse that her son see a doctor who could prescribe antibiotics that had worked in the past. She saidnobody in her family at any point threatened or yelled atany of the clinic staff.

The nurse mentioned police again when the family was at the clinic, this time saying the doctor advised staff to call them, Mukashsaid. Police from two different jurisdictionsarrived, and the family left.

"I just keep reliving the fear of being forcibly removed from the clinic, just for trying to get antibiotics for my baby," said Mukash.

About 12 hours later, she returned to the clinic, where a doctor prescribed antibiotics for Slash, she said.

She said the experience has made her lose faith in the local clinic and believes her family was subjected to inadequate care and discrimination. She said one thing that made her suspect the family was being discriminated against wasthat clinic staff told them calling Cree police on a Cree family would be a conflict of interest.

"I knew there was discrimination at this point," she said.

Whapmagoostuiis located beside the Inuit community of Kuujjuarapik, and police from both forces were called to the clinic, Mukash said.

A spokesperson at the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay said the situation that occurred Tuesday isunder investigation and declined to comment further for now.

CBC called both police services and the director of operations at Whapmagoostui clinicto ask about the situation but had not heard back by the time of publication.

Mukash said the family has been besidethemselves with worry over the baby, who has been struggling withchronic diarrhea, low iron levels and suspected allergies in addition to eczema.

She said they have seen five different doctors at the Whapmagoostui clinic, but none wouldsend the family south to see a specialist, something the Cree health board does routinely. In 2018, there were 21,000 Cree patient visits to places such as Val d'Or, Chibougamau and Montreal to see medical specialists.

CreeHealth did sendMukash and Slashto see apediatrician in the Cree community ofChisasibi, Que., three weeks ago, after Mukash filed a complaint with the board over the challenges they'd experienced with Slash's health care, but there was still no referral to see a specialist.

Mukashhasnow filed another official complaint with the Cree health board about the Tuesday morning interaction, duringwhich police were called, she said.

The Mukash family had been raising money to get themselves to a pediatrician in Montreal when they learned they would finally be allowed onto a medical charter Thursday. They left forMontreal atnoon.

This is not the Mukash family's first challenge accessing care for a child with severe eczema.

Jade Mukash's seven-year-old sister, Legend,hashad a severe outbreak of eczema for many months, according to Natasia Mukash, Legend and Jade's mom.

"She started a small patch on her face, and then it spread to her whole face, her neck and her arms, and then her hands and her fingers," said NatasiaMukash. Most recently, itspread to her eyelids and ears.

It got to the point where Legend was unable to move and attend school, her mom said.

"No matter how many times we would call the clinic to ask for help we would just be told, 'Oh, it's just eczema. It's just eczema'," said NatasiaMukash.

She said the Cree health board should share more information with parents about traditional medicines.

"[Cree health board officials]don't seem to talk about it, and we need to," said NatasiaMukash.

After several painful months, the family finally found its way to local elders who taught them how to use and prepare traditional treatments with bear grease, tamarack and Labradortea leaves, she said.

Asked about this concern, aCree health boardspokesperson said on the guidance of Nishiiyuua council of elders within theboardit is careful about what it shares online aboutCree traditional medicines and that it'sbest to be guided by a knowledgeable healer. The health board does, however, have information about some traditional medicines on its website.

But NatasiaMukash saidthe boardneeds to do more, because not everyone has access toknowledge keepers. She alsosaidLegendis doing much better since they started with themedicine and followed advice from elders to eat a more traditional diet.

"It's such a simple thing ... to see your child singing and dancing and jumping," said Natasia Mukash. "But just to see her doing that is the most amazing thing to me."

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Police called on Cree family trying to access care for baby in distress in northern Quebec - CBC.ca