Robert Wright, a sociologist who specializes in mental health, trauma and cultural competency, told the inquiry Monday that previous testimony from health-care professionals failed to account for the impact of systemic racism, which can often be subtle and unintentional. The provincial fatality inquiry heard Monday that Desmond, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, faced systemic racism when he reached out to health-care professionals as his mental health declined in late 2016. "It takes a lot of courage," Hamilton testified. The Health Department should be subjected to an independent review because it is falling behind when it comes to serving racialized groups, he said. Hamilton said the department should follow the approaches taken by the province's Education Department and by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia, both of which launched reviews of how they serve people of African descent. "Maybe this should be the time," Hamilton said. Wayne Hamilton, executive director of African Nova Scotian Affairs for the province, made the suggestion during his testimony before an inquiry investigating why in early 2017 former soldier Lionel Desmond killed his family and himself - all of whom were Black.
Nova Scotia's Health Department should consider ordering an independent review of how it serves Black people, a government official told an inquiry Tuesday.