Why an apology matters – CMA

On Sept. 18, 2024, the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) will apologize for its role, and the role of the medical profession, in harms to Indigenous Peoples in the health system. We asked a group of Indigenous physicians, who work within that system while trying to care for their communities and themselves, what the apology means to them — and why it matters.

Our people have been telling stories of their interactions with the medical system in Canada with increasing urgency and have been violently gaslit.

The Indigenous woman I stood beside as she went into painful sepsis had been dumped from a cab onto the street outside of the emergency room, left on a cot overnight with no evaluation or care, and was triaged to be seen only at the end of the next busy day. She was terrified, and when she saw me, another Indigenous sister, she burst into tears, and told me the last stories of her life. I listened to her, but it was far too late to help her.

Read More: https://www.cma.ca/our-focus/indigenous-health/why-apology-matters