Letter: Feels like assumed drug users are treated like second-class citizens, even in life-and-death

By Letter to the Editor on September 17, 2024.

Dear editor,

On Sept. 10 I witnessed something that is still bothering me, and I feel compelled to share the story.

After leaving the Esplanade and walking through the parking lot, we came across a small group of people gathered around a man who was on the ground beside a truck. His head was partly under the truck, and his glasses appeared to have been knocked off his face.

He still had his bike between his legs and a backpack on his back. To me, it looked like he had passed out suddenly or been pushed down or knocked out. He was unconscious as he did not respond to anyone who tried to speak to him.

A woman in the crowd called 911 and I heard her say, “There’s a man on the ground and he looks dead … probably a drug addict.” I was completely appalled by her assumption which was made after a cursory glance at the poor guy.

How could she possibly come up with that assessment in a fairly dark parking lot at 10:30 p.m.? And even if he is a drug user, he is still a human being and worthy of compassion and dignity. No one ever wants to become addicted to drugs.

After some time on the phone, the 911 operator had the woman check to see if he was breathing by watching the rise and fall of his chest. (He was breathing!) It seemed to take a long time for paramedics to arrive, and when they did get there, it was with no lights or sirens going.

I don’t understand why, when his condition really was unknown, and it seemed like an urgent matter. He was unconscious and could have been dying for all anyone knew. The paramedics approached the man and were asking him for his name but the man didn’t respond, so they quite unceremoniously yanked him into a sitting position and finally began to check his vitals.

I was bothered by this as well, as any first-aid training protocols I’ve been given always tell you to not move the patient until you’ve assessed their condition. I’m wondering if having him described as “probably a drug addict” had any impact on the fact that no police arrived, and that, in my opinion, he was treated as a second class citizen by paramedics.

I did some research and found out that 911 calls in Medicine Hat are answered in Medicine Hat, but if the caller says they need paramedics the call is rerouted to Calgary and the person in Calgary is responsible for dispatching them.

I was also told that if you don’t say you need police, too, they are not necessarily dispatched, unless the paramedics or 911 operator ask for them.

Why are the paramedics not dispatched directly by the 911 operator in Medicine Hat? I think adding a middleman (the dispatcher in Calgary), adds a substantial amount of time, especially in an urgent situation.

I hope I never end up somewhere unconscious in need of urgent help. Very worrisome.