Expecting flu assistance, reserves get body bags from Ottawa

I am ashamed of my home country.

They asked for help and got body bags.

Aboriginal leaders said they were outraged and confused when dozens of body bags were delivered to remote Manitoba reserves after native communities demanded federal resources to fight a second wave of the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Chiefs interpreted the grim shipments as a dire prediction of what Ottawa expects will happen during this flu season to natives, who were hardest hit by swine flu in the spring.

Some communities didn't hold on to them for long. In a symbolic protest Wednesday evening, northern First Nations leaders returned a box of the bags to a Health Canada office in Winnipeg.

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Hello


I am truly ashamed of my home country, Canada.

It came to me as a shock on how unprepared the Canadian government and health Canada are on this issue, especially regarding the first nations population. Makes me wonder how the rest of the Canadian population will be treated when the flu season hits and the hospitals start filling up. Will they ask you for your loved ones contact when you go to triage and ask you what color of body bag you would like?

Just being sarcastic here but it is a scary thought that when those living on reservations asked for help to better prepare for the upcoming flu season, the only response they got was bags that contained full post-mortem kits that included a chin strap, five tie-straps and three identification tags.

I used to be proud to be Canadian, now, I am just mortified by this... uncalled for shipment of death.




Edit : typo

[edit on 28-9-2009 by miss_silver]