The death of a 78-year-old man, Darrell Mesheau, in a Fredericton emergency department prompted outrage and scrutiny of New Brunswick’s healthcare system. After waiting nearly seven hours to be seen, Mesheau was found unresponsive in a wheelchair. Premier Blaine Higgs responded by replacing the health minister and the head of Horizon Health Network, which oversees the province’s anglophone hospitals. A coroner’s inquest determined that Mesheau died of heart failure.
The Mesheau family filed a lawsuit in July alleging that Darrell Mesheau died due to inadequate care provided by Horizon Health and two nurses at the hospital, Danielle Othen and April Knowles. The lawsuit claims that Mesheau’s vitals were not checked as required and that he was not asked about his medical history, despite a known cardiac condition. Premier Higgs has objected to naming individual nurses in the lawsuit and promised to introduce legislation to protect healthcare professionals from being named in future lawsuits.
The naming of nurses in the lawsuit is not unusual in cases of alleged medical negligence, according to legal experts. Nicole O’Byrne, an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick’s faculty of law, noted that naming all parties potentially involved is a common legal strategy in such cases. The purpose of an inquest is to answer questions about what happened, not necessarily to assign blame. The court is responsible for determining negligence.
Ryan Mesheau, the son of the deceased, criticized Premier Higgs for using his father’s death for political gain. Mesheau expressed disappointment in Higgs’s statements and urged him to focus on tangible actions to improve the healthcare system in New Brunswick. The family has asked for a public apology from Higgs, but has not received a response. Mesheau believes that Higgs should prioritize the well-being of healthcare professionals and citizens in the province.
Horizon Health Network, the healthcare authority overseeing the hospital where Mesheau died, is committed to improving the quality of care for patients. Horizon’s president, Margaret Melanson, emphasized the importance of the well-being of nurses, physicians, and healthcare professionals. The lawsuit filed by the Mesheau family against Horizon Health and the two nurses has not yet been tested in court. Despite the legal proceedings, the family continues to advocate for accountability and improvements in the healthcare system.
The situation surrounding Darrell Mesheau’s death has sparked debate about accountability, transparency, and the protection of healthcare professionals in New Brunswick. Premier Higgs’s response to the lawsuit, the coroner’s inquest findings, and the family’s demands for justice and systemic change highlight the complexities and challenges facing the healthcare system in the province. As the legal proceedings unfold, the focus remains on ensuring that similar tragedies are prevented in the future through improved regulations, oversight, and support for healthcare workers.
