Manitoba launches investigation after Bloodvein man had wrong leg amputated

The Grace Hospital in Winnipeg. Photo: APTN file.

APTN News: A “critical incident review” is underway to learn why a surgeon recently amputated the wrong limb of a First Nations man at a Winnipeg hospital.

Manitoba’s health minister declined an interview request from APTN News but said in a statement the review would investigate whether “racial bias” played a role.

“The health and safety of patients in this province is my top priority,” said Uzoma Asagwara. “I want to extend my sympathies for the patient and their family; this is a heartbreaking situation that no one deserves to go through.”

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, a First Nations political lobby group, said Jason Kennedy, 48, of Bloodvein First Nation went to the Grace Hospital to have his right leg amputated due to a bone infection on Oct. 31. Instead, his left leg was amputated below the knee.

“This tragic error, which left Mr. Kennedy in shock and disbelief upon waking from anesthesia, highlights ongoing systemic issues within healthcare delivery to First Nations Peoples,” the AMC said in a news release.

“The AMC is calling for immediate action to ensure a full, transparent investigation into this incident and demands that the Assembly be a part of the review process.”

AMC said Kennedy is a commercial fisher who has “long lived with the painful reality of a bone infection in his right foot, which he was told by his doctor at another hospital would need to be amputated.

“However, instead of receiving treatment for the right leg, Mr. Kennedy now faces the loss of his left leg. He recounts waking up from the procedure and immediately realizing that the wrong leg had been amputated, an experience that will have lifelong consequences for him and his family.”

The Southern Chiefs Organization, another tribal lobby group, also called for action.

“I cannot even begin to wrap my head around how traumatic and devastating this experience is for Mr. Kennedy and his family,” said Grand Chief Jerry Daniels in a release.

“I call on the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and the provincial government to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into this disturbing and nightmarish mistake when it comes to so-called patient care.”

Asagwara did not give a timeline for the results of the review but noted it would identify steps that can be taken to prevent a life-changing incident like this from happening again.