Nunavut pledges to buy CT scanner for hospital

The Nunavut government says it willpurchase a CT scanner for the territory's largest hospital, following the death of an Iqaluit woman who had been sent to RCMP cells with a head injury.

Territorial health officials saidMonday that they fully accept the recommendations from acoroner's inquest into the death of Elisapee Michael, 52, whofell head-first down the front stairs of the Nova Inn in Iqaluit on the night of Aug. 8, 2009.

The inquest jury heard in April that Michael was initially taken to Qikiqtani General Hospital in Iqaluit, but she was transferred into RCMP custody after medical staff determined that she was intoxicated and disruptive.

Michael spent about 14 hours in the Iqaluit RCMP detachment's holding cells until staff noticed she was showing signs of brain damage. She was then flown to an Ottawa hospital, where she died of head injuries on Aug. 13.

No scanner in hospital

Among its 29 recommendationsissued on April 14, the inquest jury called on Nunavut's Health and Social Services Department to purchase a CT scanner for Qikiqtani General Hospital.

Some inquest witnessessaid a CT imagingdevice could have confirmed if Michael had a head injury, butthe Iqaluit hospital currently does not have such a machine.

On Monday, Health Department officials told reporters in Iqaluit that they will ensure a high-tech imaging machine is installed by March 2012.

The inquest jury also said Qikiqtani hospital staff should deal with intoxicated patients at the hospital, rather than send those patients to police cells.

Hospital policy clarified

Health officials said they clarified hospital policy late last year on when to call RCMP to assist with patients.

Despite the promised changes, health officials conceded that much remains the same at the hospital's emergency room, which deals with about 80 to 90 intoxicated patients each month.

It remains up to the emergency-room doctor on duty to decide whether an intoxicated patient should be sent to RCMP cells.

But health officials said the hospital promises to treat everyone the same when they enter the emergency room, including finding out what medical problems a patient may have even ifthe person is intoxicated.

Days after the coroner's inquest report was released, RCMP in Iqaluit said officers will make sure theyknow the medical background of a hospital patientbeing transferred into police custody, in order to prevent injured people from ending up in cells.