Fail - Natives sent body bags, instead of Flu pkgs.

[crevanfox]

When medical staff on Native reserves (in Manitoba) asked for basic health care items, like hand sanitizers and masks, given how hard hit they've been with Swine Flu, they were shipped 50 body bags.

It just boggles the mind that someone would do this, with no explaination to the Natives in question.

Various Articles:

Yahoo covers it

CTV's

Comments

[bronnyelsp]

Seconded.

[suitablyemoname]

If people have died (and they have), why is sending body bags inappropriate? Especially with people who die from viruses, the bodies need to be contained to prevent the spread of disease, but with something like swine flu, it may also be preferable to preserve them for some time so that an autopsy can be performed. Building a morgue on every reserve would be exorbitantly expensive. Shipping out body bags just makes sense.

I also don't see any evidence that other flu supplies aren't being dispatched. Just because body bags are in the kit doesn't mean the rest of the kit doesn't exist.

[crevanfox]

I don't think anyone on the res atually asked for body bags, only medical supplies. Most places have body bags already.

Sending them anyway, or instead (the articles seem to disagree on this point), sends a very strong message of you're screwed (and that we aren't going to do anything to help if other supplies weren't sent).

[suitablyemoname]

I don't think anyone on the res atually asked for body bags, only medical supplies. Most places have body bags already.

So the government is to be condemned for dispatching supplies that weren't specifically asked for, in addition to whatever other supplies they've sent or are sending?

I'm not denying that it's bad optics. But that's all it is. This is just people BAWWWWing over nothing.

[sourdick]

I cant believe I'm agreeing with you. :\

[anasyrma]

.... dude.

[uncut_diamond]

When the heck did N1H1 become so lethal? Oh, it hasn't? Than why all the bodybags?

I don't know if it's malicious, but it's certainly ominous and more than a little disturbing.

[tridus]

Just like any other group, indvidually they may be quite smart. Committees lower intelligence in exactly the same way that gangs and mobs do.

[harry_beast]

Their collective agreement protects them from the consequences of their collective intelligence.

[binro33]

So it was the unionized workers that decided to ship body bags?