The family of an Indigenous woman who died in hospital has filed a lawsuit against the Nova Scotia health authority and four doctors who treated her, claiming they were negligent in caring for the 22-year-old woman with fungal meningitis.
A notice of action filed July 25 in Supreme Court says Destiny Rennie, who experienced “brain death” on Aug. 3, 2023, and was pronounced dead three days later with meningitis, was mistreated by doctors who thought she was a drug user.
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A doctor allegedly assessed Rennie as likely to have been using illicit drugs, and then ordered a blood test that showed the only drugs in her system not prescribed by a doctor were cannabinoids — chemicals found in cannabis.
Her family also alleges that hospital staff and doctors were “generally negligent” in their supervision and monitoring of Rennie’s symptoms as her health deteriorated over several days.
PATH Legal, the non-profit law firm representing Rennie’s family, says her tragic and preventable death highlights the systemic and ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous people in health settings.
The law firm says Rennie and her mother’s concerns were dismissed by medical staff because the two women were Indigenous.
The claims have not been tested in court, and the Nova Scotia Health Authority says it does not comment on legal actions.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2024.