The Saskatchewan NDP has joined the family of Samwel Uko in calling for a public inquiry into the province’s high rates of suicides and an apology from Health Minister Jim Reiter.
NDP leader Ryan Meili said not only does Minister Reiter need to accept responsibility on behalf of the government, but a public inquiry is needed to examine what the province needs to do to address the crisis.
“We need to get to the bottom of what happened in the case of Samwel Uko, but also look at the thousands of people who have lost their lives in the last decade in this province and understand what needs to be done to stop this,” stated Meili. “We cannot continue in this way in Saskatchewan. We are losing too many young people.”
Meili continued by saying it’s “absolutely shocking” that Reiter has not been present on the file of Uko’s death.
Uko’s uncle Justin Nyee shared on Monday that he received an apology via voicemail from Saskatchewan Health Authority CEO Scott Livingstone on July 24 while he was in British Columbia. When Nyee returned his call, there was no answer and he has not received a response since.
Nyee said he hasn’t heard from Premier Scott Moe or Minister Reiter either and would like to hear from them.
“There is a family going through a hard time because of what happened in that hospital,” added Nyee. “For him as a minister of health to look at how someone was treated, I think the right thing for him to do was to contact the family. Let them know if he is feeling remorseful for what happened.”
“I would accept an apology from [Reiter] if he has the guts to come out and do it.”
Uko’s family members are also asking for the government to start an inquest into his death promised back in June. Nyee said on Monday that he was told an inquest into his nephew’s death would not begin for approximately another year by the coroner’s service since there are other cases before Uko’s.
The NDP noted that 144 people on average die by suicide each year in the province. In northern Saskatchewan, suicide is the leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 49.
Health Minister Jim Reiter did confirm that Nyee received a voicemail from SHA President Scott Livingstone, but he also said senior officials from the SHA flew to BC to personally meet with Uko’s parents where they apologized admitting that what happened to their son was unacceptable.
Reiter, who says he has already publicly admitted responsibility, adds that while the NDP says a suicide prevention strategy is needed, there is a plan already in place and that the government has invested over 400 million dollars into mental health and addictions.
