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Pikangikum First Nations Pikangikum, Ontario POV 2LO Tel. 807-773-5578 or 773-5523 Fax 807-773-5536 Press Release Saturday, April 10, 1999 -11:30 pm CST |
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Pikangikum Fast at Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital Continues The fasting of 17 First Nation peoples continues today at the Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital. The fasters include Chief Paddy Peters of Pikangikum and Chief Donny Morris of Kitclieiitjhrnaykoosib lnninuwug, who remain in the Sioux Lookout Zone Hospital. Other fasters have positioned themselves outside the Hospital. This morning, visitors from Pikangikum were denied access in to the Hospital. Local media have also been turned away at the door. The fast began Friday April 9, 1999 to seek answers and positive resolution to the deteriorating health crisis in the Sioux Lookout Zone. It is intended to be a peaceful process to draw attention to the situations in their communities and find answers to the problems they are facing. The impacts of the physician and nursing shortage throughout the Sioux Lookout Zone have significantly impacted the health of the peoples of Pikangikum and Kitchenuhmaykoosib lnninuwug. Physician visits in the past year have decreased to infrequent, brief visits. Their community nursing stations are forced to close on a regular basis, because there are no nurses in the community to provide clinical services. All preventative health programming and monitoring of chronic patients, including diabetics and hypertensive patients have effectively ceased. In Pikangikum, there are 173 people who are on a waiting list to see a physician. In Kitchenuhmaykoosib lnninuwug, there is a backlog of 64 patients who need to see a physician. The fasters seek government-to-government dialogue between their First Nations and the Crown, as is their Treaty right. They expect to negotiate positive change to be implemented in their communities that will end the suffering and ill-health of their peoples. The fasters are determined to continue for as long as it takes the Crown to address their plight. "This is the sacrifice we have to take in order to live," states a youth faster from Pikangikum First Nation. Contact Person: Georgina Lentz Independent First Nations Alliance (807) 737-1902 (807) 737-3501 (fax) (807) 737-2565 beeper # 123 (pager) |
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