When Lilian Bonin drives her mother Christine to Victoria Hospital on Friday, October 16, the latter suffers only from a urinary tract infection. Yet two weeks later, she will die of COVID-19.
Because of the coronavirus, she died alone, without having her family with her
, regrets Lilian Bonin.
A few days after her mother’s admission to Victoria Hospital, Lilian receives a call to tell her that a COVID-19 outbreak has broken out in the wing where she is located.
She is reassured by telling her that her mother is not one of those infected.
This relief is short lived, says Lilian. On October 27, Christiane Bonin developed symptoms. She tested positive for COVID-19. She must therefore be transferred to another facility, since Victoria Hospital does not treat patients with the virus.
They told me she was going to Saint-Boniface. Then they phoned me to say that she was actually going to Grace, then again to say no, it was full, and that she was going to the Health Sciences Center.
Lilian then wonders if she could have been contaminated. She contacts the staff at Victoria Hospital to find out whether she should get tested or isolate herself. The hospital tells him that they only exercise extreme caution in [la] considerate but [qu’elle] can continue their usual activities
.
Lilian, however, develops symptoms and is also tested positive for COVID-19.
As she gets better, her mother’s condition deteriorates and she asks the director of the Health Sciences Center for permission to visit her.
She was able to see her for ten minutes, she said. Her mother died alone a few days later, on November 10. She was 89 years old.
<q data-attributes="{"lang":{"value":"fr","label":"Français"},"value":{"html":"Ma mère était très importante pour nous tous, dit-elle. C'est quelqu'un qui a travaillé comme infirmière pendant 45years. She took care of so many people and her death was stolen from us. “,” Text “:” My mother was very important to all of us, “she said. He is someone who worked as a nurse for 45 years. She took care of so many people and her death was stolen from us. “}}” Lang = “en”>My mother was very important to all of us, she says. He’s someone who worked as a nurse for 45 years. She took care of so many people and her death was stolen from us.
Lilian Bonin believes that the protocols in place at Victoria Hospital were not sufficient. An investigation into the COVID-19 outbreak at this hospital is still ongoing.
Lilian Bonin hopes that this investigation will provide some answers to the questions she is asking herself about her mother’s death.
In an email to Radio-Canada, a spokesperson for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority indicated that hospitals all have protocols to follow in the event of an outbreak. He claims that these procedures are always followed when any illness appears in these hospitals. He also says these protocols are constantly being adapted as more is learned about the virus.
The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority also reports that staff at Victoria Hospital have offered their condolences to the families of the victims and continue to work diligently to provide a safe environment for patients and staff alike.
With information from CBC and Laïssa Pamou
