Singh wants Ottawa to send military allegations of nursing home neglect to RCMP
OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants to see the RCMP investigate conditions in long-term care homes in Ontario following allegations in a report of neglect and abuse in five homes being helped by the military.
by Canadian PressOTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he wants to see the RCMP investigate conditions in long-term care homes in Ontario following allegations in a report of neglect and abuse in five homes being helped by the military.
Singh says he has written to Public Safety Minister Bill Blair saying the Canadian Forces' report on the conditions they found should be referred to the RCMP and, should cases be found of corporate criminal neglect, that criminal charges should be laid.
He called the allegations "appalling" and said Ottawa must take swift actions to address the situation.
He is also calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring the long-term care system under the Canada Health Act, blaming many of the problems in these centres on the for-profit model under which many seniors' homes in Canada operate.
The military report, prepared after troops were sent into five homes overwhelmed by COVID-19 outbreaks, details "horrific" allegations of insect infestations, aggressive resident feeding that caused choking, bleeding infections, and residents crying for help for hours.
Allegations also included failure to isolate COVID-19-positive patients from the rest of the home and a host of hygiene issues involving everything from contaminated catheters to dangerous pressure ulcers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 27, 2020.
The Canadian Press