A Penticton woman is taking her fight against life-threatening medical errors and how the Canadian health care system deals with medical malpractice to seniors害羞草研究所� centres across the province.

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Teri McGrath, who is a retired nurse and experienced a medical error herself while in the hospital years ago, is hoping a new paper petition she created will make the provincial government take notice of the 30,000 plus people who die because of preventable medical errors each year.

In June, McGrath害羞草研究所檚 online petition on the collected 844 signatures, 540 of which were from British Columbia. South Okanagan-West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings presented it to the House of Commons in Ottawa. But because of the upcoming federal election, that petition is now, 害羞草研究所渄ead in the water,害羞草研究所� McGrath explained.

In the to the petition, it states the quality and safety of health service delivery is the responsibility of provinces and territories but that the federal government can play a role. It points to a 1990 report that contains 害羞草研究所渟everal recommendations for consideration focused on no-fault compensation for medical malpractice.害羞草研究所� But, to date, 害羞草研究所渘o province or territory has introduced the system and provincial governments have not raised this issue.害羞草研究所�

McGrath said taxpayer dollars are being used against taxpaying patients and families to pay lawyers to defend preventable medical errors causing injuries and deaths, and something needs to be done.

She wants the provincial government to take the lead in implementing no-fault healthcare compensation for medical malpractice in the country.

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害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no-fault compensation with ICBC if you are in a car accident,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t doesn害羞草研究所檛 matter who caused it. But if you are banged up, you get help. That害羞草研究所檚 what we are looking for in the Canadian medical system.害羞草研究所�

This week, with support from Liz Hansen at the Penticton Seniors害羞草研究所� Centre, McGrath is sending out the paper petition to roughly 38 senior centres across the province.

While she only needs 25 signatures, McGrath is hoping an amount in the hundreds will have a greater impact.

In early November, she plans to hand the signed petitions over to Liberal MLA Dan Ashton so he can bring the cause to the provincial legislature.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to have a patient who has experienced a medical error and we害羞草研究所檙e going to hand it directly to Ashton,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭his is non-partisan. This is not a specific Liberal or NDP issue. We害羞草研究所檙e hoping others will do the same thing with their petitions. The more MLAs who have this in their hand, I think the greater the impact.害羞草研究所�

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