Written by Bill McQuarrie
“I’m going on a hunger strike and I will fast until death if I have to, to get this resolved,” states Darren Matwichuk when asked why he has begun camping out in front of the Port McNeill hospital.
It all began five months ago when his wife, Cindy Matwichuk, who works as an admitting and health records clerk at the hospital, became unable to work due to stress and other medical issues.
She and her colleagues had been running their department under the restrictive challenges of COVID and doing so while short staffed. According to Matwichuk, Cindy had been fighting the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) “for nearly a year to get help in the office.” But he explained those attempts to restore staffing levels fell on deaf ears. “By the time they would get the job posting up and it would run in the paper for a couple of weeks, the VIHA would get a new Port McNeill remote manager (based out of Nanaimo) and the new manager would say, ‘no, you’ve got to run this process by me’ and the process would start again.”
Given the workload and stresses of trying to do more with less and on the advice of her doctor, Cindy took medical leave from her position and for the next five months, collected sick benefits from Employment Insurance in place of her normal salary.
But things got worse instead of better as Matwichuk explained: “During the five months of EI, Cindy was not covered by benefits, so she was required to make a $550 dollar payment every month to keep those benefits alive. So now we’re out of pocket over $2000 and 4 months later they (VIHA and the insurance provider) denied her benefits claim.”
The denial of claim can be appealed but her employer, the Health Authority, requires an MRI along with a neurological assessment before that appeal can be heard and Matwichuk says the required procedure and assessment won’t likely happen for at least 13 months and possibly as long as 16 months from now. “They won’t even lift a finger or even talk to us again for a review or an appeal until that assessment has been completed,” states Matwichuk.
With no offers of assistance from her employer Matwichuk confirms: “We’re on our own and are even having to find the money to pay for needed physiotherapy.”
Like everyone, the couple needs money for rent and groceries but Cindy’s husband likens the current situation to, “falling into a crack the size of the Grand Canyon.” He compares it to a CATCH 22 where the doctor signs you off indicating you are unable to work but the money pressures grow and despite the dangers, “you begin to think the only answer is to ignore your condition and ask the doctor to sign you back to work. But the doctor can’t sign you back because you are not well enough to work.”
Not well enough to be allowed to work but according to VIHA, not sick enough to qualify for benefits.
According to Matwichuk, Cindy “absolutely loves her job and the people she works with,” and if she were successfully treated she would be eager and willing to return to work at the hospital. “She wants to go back to work,” he says.
But in a phone call with the couple last Friday, Matwichuk says the insurance company remained steadfast in its decision and confirmed that her claim was denied. “Cindy was devastated,” he said, and it was then that he decided to protest at the hospital stating, “I’m going on a hunger strike and I will fast until death if I have to, to get this resolved.”
“It’s not humane for anybody to be treated like that. When you’re sick and you can’t fight back,” says Matwichuk. “I can fight back for her but even then there is a certain level of humiliation that goes along with this. Now we’re airing her private medical business on social media and she’s horrified with me and very angry but she’s forgiven me.”
Matwichuk noted VIHA Director of Clinical Operations Jillian Kozinka in Victoria told the couple in a phone call over the weekend that they (VIHA) would expedite this review. “She has assured me that this will be dealt with swiftly and that I won’t get sick and die on her front door step.” However he cautioned; “She actually seemed more concerned that I was here camped out at the front door to the hospital than she was about looking after my wife. I have assured her that I won’t budge” until it is resolved.
A patient leaving the hospital stopped to chat with Matwichuk and summed up the feelings of many when she said: “I understand that there are people along the way who will abuse the system. I get it. There are people who don’t and it’s unfortunate that the people who go about this the right way are the ones who get pushed the hardest and that’s unfair.”
The Gazette has reached out to VIHA and Port McNeill mayor Gaby Wickstrom for comment.
* This is a developing story: We’ll give updates on the situation as we learn more.
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