Death of Manitoba COVID-19 patient before Ontario transfer being investigated as critical incident: Shared Health
The death of a Manitoba woman from COVID-19 before she could be transferred to an Ontario hospital for treatment is being investigated as a critical incident by the province.
Shared Health confirmed to CTV News on Friday that the investigation into the death that occurred on May 25 has been declared a critical incident and the investigation is ongoing.
“Critical incidents are not reported to lay blame on individuals, but rather look at what can be done differently and what improvements can be made,” a Shared Health spokesperson said in a statement.
The woman was identified by the Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO) as Krystal Mousseau, a mother of two from the Ebb and Flow First Nation.
The organization said she was in hospital in Brandon when she died.
Shared Health said on May 26 that a “critically ill patient” who was identified for transport to Ontario for care became destabilized before takeoff. The patient was returned to hospital, where they passed away the next day.
The province said patients selected to be transported to an ICU space in another jurisdiction are carefully assessed by the critical care team, and detailed discussions occur between the sending and receiving care teams.
“Rapid deterioration and death of COVID-19 patients requiring critical care is not uncommon and cannot be predicted, whether in the ICU or during transports,” a spokesperson for the province said.
Shared Health added a separate internal review of the incident by the contracted flight company will also be conducted.
“Shared Health will remain involved in this review as the provincial entity responsible for Emergency Response Services, including contracted services,” a spokesperson for the organization said in a statement.
-with files from CTV's Devon McKendrick
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.