Swan River ER concerns under investigation

Health officials in northwestern Manitoba are investigating the complaints against the emergency room in Swan River in the wake of medical complaints filed against the facility.

The Western Regional Health Authority (formerly known as the Parkland Regional Health Authority) confirmed that a review is underway into "several" complaints that have been made against the SwanValley Health Centre's emergency room in the last couple of months.

Among those with concerns about the Swan River emergency room is Lillian Hay, who told CBC News her infant grandson was taken there with a bad cough in April.

"He was very lethargic. His breathing was horrible," Hay said of her grandson, who was two months old at the time.

"If you take a baby inor anyone that's that sick I would expect that nurses [and] doctors would actually, I guess, be able to diagnose them properly," she added.

Hay said the doctor on call sent the infant home, saying he just had a common cold, but the little boy's condition worsened.

It took two more visits before the emergency room staff finally admitted her grandson, Hay said.

She added that a nurse persuaded the doctor to have the baby airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital, where he was diagnosed with a respiratory infection.

"I was just scared to death," she said.

John Borley said his wife developed health problems after she was accidentally given the wrong medication while she was a patient there two months ago.

"She's allergic to penicillin, which was brought to the attention of both [the] admitting nurse and ER doctor," Borley said.

Health authority officials said they cannot comment on specific cases, but they said a review into the alleged incidents is underway.

The town of Swan River is about 270 kilometres northwest of Brandon, Man.