A Cree doctor in Edmonton is demanding that a nurse who cut an elderly First Nations man’s braids be fired and charged with assault.
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Dr. Makokis says the incident highlights the systemic racism within Canada’s healthcare system and calls for stronger policies to protect patients’ rights.
The 84 year old patient, Dexter Adams, from Pasqua First Nation in Saskatchewan, was receiving care at the Royal Alexandra Hospital when his family says a nurse cut off his braids without consent. The family also found that his eagle feather and bear grease, important cultural items, were thrown in the trash.
Dr. Makokis says that actions like this should be treated as assault, and he argues that cultural safety training alone won’t prevent such incidents. He believes the healthcare system needs clear policies with consequences for those who violate patients’ rights.
The incident has sparked outrage, with calls for accountability and justice for Adams. The Royal Alexandra Hospital has not yet commented on the situation.
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