Nunavut MLAs want answers after Cape Dorset baby's death

Nunavut lawmakers are demanding answers about how the government will address concerns stemming from a recent CBC investigation.

Internal government emails obtained by CBC showthat the territorial government put the public health of Cape Dorset "at risk" by mishandling a nurse facing numerous complaints.

• Investigation: Death and denial in Cape Dorset

One of the complaints stemmed from the 2012 death of a three-month-old boy, Makibi Timilak, who died from a common viral infection after the nurse allegedly refused to see him.

Last week, Health MinisterMonica Ell announced an independent, external reviewinto what happened at the Cape Dorset health centre and how the situation was handled by government officials.

In her announcement, Ell said her department had already conducted an internal review, but it has not made the findings public.

That's not good enough for some MLAs.

"We need transparency, especially when it comes to real problems" says Iqaluit-Niaqunnguu MLA Pat Angnakak.

"People want to know what their government is doing to address these problems. And the only way we're gonna know is if documents like this are made public."

The story of the baby's death also struck a chord with South Rankin MLA Alex Sammurtok.

He says he hasn't heard of any similar stories in his community, but he is concerned.

"When I first read it, I said 'Wow,' Sammurtok says. "If it's happening in one small community, I wonder what it's like in Nunavut as a whole."

CBC contacted the health department to find out who will conduct the external review,or what exactly they will be reviewing, but a spokesperson says that hasn't been decided yet.

Angnakak says findings in reports like these are often difficult to take, but can serve as a wake-up call.