WATCH:
Comments on a recent My Bulkley Lakes Now news story are sparking controversy over how Northern Health treats Indigenous patients.
The authority is receiving angry messages lately after a social media user claiming to work for them said ‘Natives are a drain on the healthcare system.’
The post goes further to say ‘free up our docs & nurses for those who aren’t of the alcoholic drug abusing population.’
“I can understand why people would have been concerned about that, not only the public but our staff too. We have a commitment to ensure that our environments are culturally safe, and that people are being treated with respect and that we honour diversity. To see comments like that being made and being attributed to our organization, especially when it appears that is not the case, it’s very discouraging.”
– Northern Health spokesperson Eryn Collins
The profile, known as ‘Addison Ryan,’ where the comments came from has since been deleted.
– with files from Cole Kelly, My PG Now