NB Update: Remedies for racism in the health care system, a systemic issue across Canada

This edition of the NB Update looks at an issue that affects people across the country: racism in the health care system.

New Brunswick’s commissioner on systemic racism, Dr. Manju Varma, wrote in her final report in 2022 that her office “was inundated with complaints regarding racist treatment at emergency rooms.”

The report also stated that health care workers experienced racism or witnessed racism from co-workers and clients.

For more about systemic racism in the health care system and solutions to this problem, the NB Media Co-op spoke to Janice Willier, an Indigenous health systems consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in the sector.

The NB Update is a collaboration between the NB Media Co-op and CHCO TV.

Trisha Augustine and Lance Francis reported from Elsipogtog, with production support from other media workshop participants: Wowkwis Augustine, Charles Francis, Lisha Francis, Belle Huston, Adrienna Simon, and Manny Simon; editing and production by David Gordon Koch. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, via the Local Journalism Initiative.

We also acknowledge support from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation with funding from the Government of Canada. Thank you to St. Thomas University’s Aotiitj program for providing access to the classroom at the Elsipogtog Community Service Centre.