‘Her family deserves answers’: Indigenous physicians call for inquiry after First Nations woman’s death
Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada (IPAC) are calling for accountability into the death of a northern Ontario First Nations woman who was unable to get her medical travel covered by the federal government.
On Aug. 19, Fort Severn First Nation member Miranda Mamakwa posted on Facebook that she had missed four follow-up appointments after having open heart surgery in April, as the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program failed to organize her travel expenses and accommodations.
“If I die, please go after them,” she wrote on Facebook.
Following complications, the 31-year-old mother of three was airlifted to a hospital in Thunder Bay, Ont. and ultimately died on Sept. 8.
NIHB is the federal program that covers medically necessary health services not covered by provincial or territorial health insurance plans, as well as medical transportation and accommodation expense.
But Indigenous leaders have long called for an overhaul to the program, which has been plagued with bureaucratic delays and administrative friction. A 2022 briefing note presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs said the approval process for medical transportation is often “delayed or not expeditated in a timely manner,” often leading to missed and cancelled appointments. At a rally this summer, one grand chief even called it “Canada's worst insurance company.”
In their Sept. 24 statement, IPAC notes that medical transportation is an essential part of healthcare for Indigenous people and that the responsibility of coordinating medically necessary care “cannot rest solely on a person who is sick, recovering from major surgery or otherwise medically vulnerable.”
“Health systems must recognize when necessary care has not occurred, communicate across services, and act when a patient may be at risk,” IPAC said.
IPAC—along with the Fort Severn First Nation, Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, and Nishnawbe Aski Nation—are calling for an independent investigation into Miranda’s death and changes to the NIHB medical transportation framework to prevent similar cases.
“Miranda was not a travel request, a file number, or a missed appointment. She was a 31-year-old mother of three, a loved member of her family and a member of Fort Severn First Nation,” they said.
“Her family deserves answers. The concerns raised by First Nations leaders about medical transportation deserve action.”
Meanwhile, Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty said in a Sept. 11 statement she has instructed Indigenous Services Canada to “urgently establish the facts surrounding Miranda's death and the circumstances that led to it.”
“My deepest condolences go to Miranda's family, loved ones and the entire Fort Severn First Nation during this incredibly difficult time. They deserve answers about what happened,” Gull-Masty said.
