VIDEO – Protests over the level of service offered by Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation’s Community Health Services and calling for the resignation of executive director Hugh Prichard have stalled the agency’s accreditation process.
Representatives from Accreditation Canada, a non-profit, independent review agency, decided not to travel from their hotel to the health centre in Tla’Amin on Wednesday, April 6 due to protests taking place in front of the agency and at the hotel. Around a dozen people carrying signs calling for Prichard’s resignation, and passing around a petition demanding the same, congregated in front of the health services building just as community representatives were arriving to meet with officials.
Ramona Dominic, a former health board member, protested over what she perceives as unfair distribution of health services among community members. She has requested services, such as home services for her 35-year-old son who has cerebral palsy, that she said have never been followed up. She has sent letters about traditional healing initiatives that she says have never been answered. She hopes the accrediting agency will hear the
concerns of the community.
“There’s history here that’s happening,” said Dominic, “of our people not being heard...I just feel bad that the Tla’Amin community elders, people that are disabled are not being heard and services aren’t being delivered equally.”
Community elder Bob Blaney did not take part in the protest but spoke to the Peak as a concerned community member. He explained that many in the community are also upset over the firing of Margaret Rossi, non-insured health benefits coordinator, which they believe went beyond the authority of Prichard. According to Blaney, Rossi is launching a complaint over the issue. Blaney believes that more effort needs to be made in filling internal positions with people from the community.
“The underlying thing is that our leadership and decision makers need to put more value into our own membership,” said Blaney. “When we talk about capacity building here in Tla’Amin, when we talk about treaty and self-government, the percentile of non-band members being employed and our own membership getting overlooked, that’s a huge concern.”
Prichard would not comment on personal cases, nor on the firing of Rossi, explaining that it is an internal matter, but expressed that concerns are always welcome to be heard through the health board. Prichard has been the executive director for six months and is still in a probationary period until April 18. He said he understands the history of the community and where community members’ concerns are coming from but said the agency does all it can and more with a finite budget.
“Our agency has always gone above and beyond what it is, what the specific contractual obligations are,” said Prichard. “We’ve always extended ourselves much further than the contractual obligations in order to meet the needs of the community...There’s maybe a misalignment of expectations versus what it is actually available from a dollars and cents perspective. Tla’Amin health is financially sound and is held in high regard by its funders.”
Prichard invited the protestors to come into the planned presentation with the accreditation representatives but they refused to enter the building. While a new date for the representatives to visit has not yet been set, Prichard assures that the process will continue and that it really has nothing to do with the protestors’ concerns.
“Just because a small but somewhat organized and vocal minority were able to derail this process, the process will continue,” said Prichard. “This is not something that we have an option with and health services have to be meeting the highest level of safety standards. That’s being accountable.”
