Quebec coroner to explain how racism played a role in Joyce Echaquan's death in hospital
CBC
After concluding that racism played a role in the death of Joyce Echaquan, a Quebec coroner is set to meet with reporters on Tuesday to explain her report's findings.
Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman and mother of seven, died on Sept. 28, 2020, shortly after recording herself as health-care staff in a hospital north of Montreal hurled racist remarks at her.
Her death and the footage leading up to it sparked outrage, protests and calls for the province to acknowledge systemic racism.
Echaquan died of pulmonary edema, and although her death has been ruled accidental, "the racism and prejudice Ms. Echaquan faced" contributed to her death, says the coroner's report that was made public last Friday.
Coroner Géhane Kamel's report notes that Echaquan's care was affected because medical staff assumed she was suffering from withdrawal and had an unfounded belief she was addicted to drugs.
Echaquan had diabetes and cardiomyopathy.
Kamel issued several recommendations, the top one being that the Quebec government must recognize the existence of systemic racism within its institutions.