A third resident of St. Mary's Villa in Humboldt, who has been in declining health since being exposed to carbon monoxide on December 26, has died.
The 98-year-old woman passed away on January 26, nearly five weeks after a heating system malfunction resulted in residents and staff being exposed to carbon monoxide. The woman's family has been notified and the case has been referred to the provincial coroner.
According to Shan Landry, vice-president community services for the Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), the health region has begun their own investigation into the death.
"As we learned about the possible long-term effects of carbon monoxide exposure we have been extra vigilant in monitoring the residents and staff," Landry said. "We have an agreement with the coroner that if we suspect even a tenuous link with carbon monoxide exposure, we will report it."
While there is no conclusive evidence that the death is related to the incident on December 26, Landry said the SHR informed the public in the interest of being transparent and open.
While Landry couldn't comment on the specific health conditions because of confidentiality, she did say that the nature of being in long-term care means that residents are usually elderly and have complex medical conditions.
The woman was among the over 40 residents and staff who were transferred to Humboldt District Hospital after a carbon monoxide leak was confirmed in the Dust Wing of the Villa on December 26.
Thirty-nine residents and some staff in that wing were moved to another wing, before 24 residents were transferred to Humboldt District Hospital (HDH) for treatment.
An 89-year-old man, who was the first victim of the incident, had long-term health problems and died within minutes of his arrival at the hospital on December 26.
The second death related to the carbon monoxide incident was a 94-year-old woman, who died January 4.
She had been admitted to the hospital on December 26 and had remained there since, receiving treatment. She had underlying health conditions, but the carbon monoxide aggravated those conditions and led to her death.
The SHR is continuing their in-depth investigation of the incident and plan to have a report of the internal preliminary review sometime this week. Landry expects the conclusions of the review will be released to the public in early February to let people know what has been done to prevent any further incidents and what else they are planning.
"We've been deeply concerned about this incident all along," Landry said. "It's not only about the safety of residents and staff in St. Mary's, but in all our facilities."
Carbon monoxide detectors were installed at St. Mary's Villa on December 26, but more sophisticated devices were being installed starting January 27. These more sensitive devices are easy for staff to read and also act as an alarm system, Landry reported.
The SHR is also working to comply with the provincial mandate, issued about two weeks after the incident at the SMV, to have carbon monoxide detectors installed at every health facility in the province.
"We will have those installed over the next four weeks," Landry stated.
Landry also extended condolences to the family of the victim.
"We extend our heartfelt sympathy and support to the resident's family and loved ones," Landry said. "This time has been very difficult for residents, their families, staff and communities."
