By Canadian Press

Mohawk man files rights complaint against Quebec hospital over alleged mistreatment

May 27, 2021 | 10:34 AM

KANESATAKE — A Mohawk man and his wife are filing a human rights complaint against a Quebec hospital after the elderly man was allegedly discharged from the facility wearing barely any clothes.

Winston Nelson, 71, was hospitalized at the St-Eustache hospital, north of Montreal, on Dec. 30 for heart problems.

Nelson’s wife, Cheryl Scott, says she sent a taxi to pick him up on Jan. 5, only to find him wearing a hospital gown and a soiled diaper when he arrived home.

The couple, who are from Kanesatake, west of Montreal, told reporters today they mandated a civil rights advocacy group to bring the case on their behalf in front of Quebec’s human rights commission.

Fo Niemi, executive director at the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations, said today during the same news conference he sees a disturbing pattern of Quebec hospitals mistreating Indigenous people.

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Representatives for the St-Eustache hospital were not immediately available for comment.

The couple say that on a separate occasion, they witnessed nurses at the hospital allegedly mimicking stereotypical Indigenous war chants.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 27, 2021. 

The Canadian Press