Families calling for new coroner in investigation of alleged hospital mistreatment

MONTREAL (CityNews) – The families of Candida Macarine and Akeem Scott – who died after being brought to the ER in Montreal-area hospitals are calling on the coroner overseeing their loved one’s cases to recuse herself.

Scott died in June 2019 after his family says he went to the Jewish General Hospital and then left without being seen.

After waiting for hours without receiving care and in desperate pain, he eventually died at a friend’s home with the coroner concluding his death was “natural.”

Candida Macarine, a Filipino grandmother, died in February, less than 24 hours after being brought to the ER at the Lakeshore General Hospital with respiratory problems. She was found dead on the floor by staff.

Weeks after her death, the family left with without any answers. The hospital only asking for a coroner’s inquiry in late March, after the family went public with their story.

“It’s really sad to think these are the institutions that we trust, that we bring our loved ones or ourselves personally to get treated, but now after what happened to my mom, after what happened to Scott, makes you think twice to go there,” explained Emmanuel Macarine, son of Candida Macaraine.

In both cases, coroner Karine Spénard is heading up the investigations.

Last week, the center for research-action on race relations say they discovered Spénard was the chief of legal services at the Regional Health Authority that oversees the Lakeshore General Hospital from 2015 to 2017.

They and the families say her previous position compromises their confidence in her objectivity and independence, and that she has yet to contact them about their cases.

“The only thing I got from coroner Spinard, when she basically introduced herself was through an email about some of the, shall we say, information was not being forthcoming to the family, and it was the first and the last time I communicated with coroner Spinard,” said Fo Niemi, Center for Research-action on Race Relations.

The handling of the Macarine file’s by the coroner’s office raises questions about the inquiry into Scott’s death according to CRARR, who say the coroner did not make reference to the fact that the hospital’s examiner made contradictory statements about the existence of security video footage of Scott’s presence at the hospital. His mom saying she never even heard from the coroner during the investigation.

“Many things did not go in there, like my son was on the ground crying in pain, and no one attended to him, so I don’t think his report is complete, no one contacted us,” explained Marcia Samuels, mother of Akeem Scott.

CityNews contacted the corner’s office and they reiterated their full confidence in coroner Spénard and don’t feel there is a conflict of interest as her work with the Regional Health Authority ended several years ago.

“However, as Ms. Macarine’s family members withdrew their trust in coroner Spénard and requested that the investigation be transferred to another coroner. The chief coroner accepts this request and a new coroner will be appointed to continue the case,” said a spokesperson in a statement.