Gatineau Hospital Orderly Suspended After Telling Patient to Speak French

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The family of a dying war vet is demanding the Gatineau Hospital fire an orderly after a conflict over language and care last weekend.

77 year old John Gervais came to the Gatineau hospital over the Thanksgiving weekend.

He arrived at the emergency department a shadow of his former self; a robust veteran of the Royal Canadian Navy, in search of answers and compassion. But Gervais’ family says that is not what happened.

Last Saturday night, Gervais’ wife and daughters, who were by his side, caring for him, had asked an orderly to help take Gervais to the washroom. They were surprised by the young orderly's aggressive attitude, after a liquid spilled on the orderly’s shoes.

Gervais’ son-in-law, Steve Long, says the orderly barked in good English “this is not a hotel,” and pulled back the curtain around John Gervais’ bed.

Steve Long's mother-in-law called him on it.

“Mrs. Gervais said that's a horrible way to treat somebody,” says Long, “you shouldn't treat sick people like that.

Long says the orderly spun around and said :"Je suis Québécois, nous parlons en francais, parles en francais.”

Long says when he got to the hospital minutes later, the tension in the Emergency Department was palpable. He says the orderly immediately confronted him.

“The guy was staring at me, you know what his intent is. “If someone does that on the street or in a bar, you worry you're going to get into a fight,” recalls Long, “That's what it was like in there, in the emergency room with my father in law and his family watching.”

When Long asked to speak to his supervisor, he says the orderly told him he was Quebecois and to speak French -- the third time he had repeated that.

“He showed lack of compassion and hostility towards a fellow who was very sick, couldn't stand, 77 years old, a 75 year old wife. He should not be working in the hospital. I want to see him fired.”

The family has filed a complaint with the hospital and the ombudsman is currently looking into it but it could take up to 45 days for any resolution.

Late this afternoon, though, the Human Resources Department met with the employee and suspended him until that investigation is over.

"We have 6500 employees,” says Sylvain Dube, with the Centre de Sante et de Services Sociaux de Gatineau, the agency responsible for the hospital, “and from what I know, it's the first complaint we received about an English patient that couldn’t' have the service in English, the first time.”
Read more: veteran, gatineau, hospital | CTV Ottawa News

The hospital may have a lawsuit on their hands here. Bill 142 guarantees all residents of Quebec health care services in either English or French. What makes this case baffling is that this institution is designated an English language hospital. Back when Bill 101 was adopted, the separatist government back then labeled hospitals as either English language or French language hospitals. Those with an English speaking clientele greater than 50% were tagged English language hospitals, the rest were automatically tagged French language hospitals. The Gatineau hospital was not labeled a French language hospital.

So the patient in question here was refused service in English in a hospital that was specifically designated by the separatist government to provide services in English to English speaking patients. This is in addition to Bill 142.
 

karrie

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Read more: veteran, gatineau, hospital | CTV Ottawa News

The hospital may have a lawsuit on their hands here. Bill 142 guarantees all residents of Quebec health care services in either English or French. What makes this case baffling is that this institution is designated an English language hospital. Back when Bill 101 was adopted, the separatist government back then labeled hospitals as either English language or French language hospitals. Those with an English speaking clientele greater than 50% were tagged English language hospitals, the rest were automatically tagged French language hospitals. The Gatineau hospital was not labeled a French language hospital.

So the patient in question here was refused service in English in a hospital that was specifically designated by the separatist government to provide services in English to English speaking patients. This is in addition to Bill 142.


My understanding is that you can't sue the hospital over an employeed failing to enact the language laws, you can only sue them if the hospital itself has a policy to flout the language laws.

A crappy employee is just a crappy employee. So long as the hospital works to resolve the situation, there is no grounds for a lawsuit
 

Goober

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My understanding is that you can't sue the hospital over an employeed failing to enact the language laws, you can only sue them if the hospital itself has a policy to flout the language laws.

A crappy employee is just a crappy employee. So long as the hospital works to resolve the situation, there is no grounds for a lawsuit
Just going by news reports, not always a good thing but.
Did the employee harass the patient and family?
Did the employee attempt to intimidate the patient and family?

Just asking is all.
 

karrie

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Just going by news reports, not always a good thing but.
Did the employee harass the patient and family?
Did the employee attempt to intimidate the patient and family?

Just asking is all.


Yes. But, typically speaking in Canada, hurt feelings when a person acts outside the policies of the business or institution, does not mean you can sue. Contrary to what tv tells us, lawsuits aren't that simple.
 

Goober

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Yes. But, typically speaking in Canada, hurt feelings when a person acts outside the policies of the business or institution, does not mean you can sue. Contrary to what tv tells us, lawsuits aren't that simple.

There is another point that has not been considered and is often overlooked.
We work with people that can have major issues going on in their lives- We as co=workers realize that.
So perhaps this fellow was having some significant events going on in his life.
 

Sal

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There is another point that has not been considered and is often overlooked.
We work with people that can have major issues going on in their lives- We as co=workers realize that.
So perhaps this fellow was having some significant events going on in his life.
are you speaking about the orderlie? if so, he is dealing with sick people maybe even dying people, and people in mental, emotional or physical crisis... if he is too mentally unstable to handle it he should be removed
 

SLM

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There is another point that has not been considered and is often overlooked.
We work with people that can have major issues going on in their lives- We as co=workers realize that.
So perhaps this fellow was having some significant events going on in his life.


There may be a reason Goober, but a reason does not directly correlate to an excuse.
 

karrie

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There is another point that has not been considered and is often overlooked.
We work with people that can have major issues going on in their lives- We as co=workers realize that.
So perhaps this fellow was having some significant events going on in his life.


That's for HR to deal with, not patients though. I don't want to sound harsh or jerky but that's life. Suspending him and taking it from there is the right call.
 

gerryh

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There may be a reason Goober, but a reason does not directly correlate to an excuse.


A reason is never an excuse.


My oldest boys were ADD/ADHD. I told them, and their teachers that ADD/ADHD may be a reason for their behavior, but it is never an excuse.
 

Goober

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are you speaking about the orderlie? if so, he is dealing with sick people maybe even dying people, and people in mental, emotional or physical crisis... if he is too mentally unstable to handle it he should be removed

What I am saying is people at times snap- there may be a reason for this, not an excuse, but a mitigating factor.
As Karrie mentions an HR issue, but possible that HR brushed it off. I have seen that on occasion.
Every prov in Canada is cutting positions in Hospitals.
Just broadening the conversation to what is not reported.
 

gerryh

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Especially with kids, you'd never want to allow them to use that as an excuse, because it could easily become a crutch.


Yup, and I've seen it happen time and time again. I was told I was too hard on them and that I should take into consideration their "disability". Nope, they didn't want to take drugs, so, learn to control yourself.
 

karrie

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Yup, and I've seen it happen time and time again. I was told I was too hard on them and that I should take into consideration their "disability". Nope, they didn't want to take drugs, so, learn to control yourself.

My boy had behavioural issues in primary school, and when I finally told them they needed to get him a counselor, the first thing I said to the counselor was 'he needs tools, not a label'.... the counselor nearly hugged me.
 

Goober

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Yup, and I've seen it happen time and time again. I was told I was too hard on them and that I should take into consideration their "disability". Nope, they didn't want to take drugs, so, learn to control yourself.

Then they traveled a hell of a tough road.
 

Goober

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Yes they did, and they are doing quite well for themselves now. Unlike some others I know who were "pampered" and "excused" for their behaviour.
And then we have the time spent by the family unit to work thru this as a family.

And pampering by parents is not just for people with ADD/ADHD.

I know nothing about these illnesses.