The Chief Coroner re-opened an investigation into the death of Shayne Turner, and came up with two recommendations in lieu of an inquest.
Those recommendations are that the Saskatchewan Health Authority consider a formal protocol between the Regina hospital emergency departments and the Regina Brief and Social Detox Services.
And the other is that the SHA review their protocol when it comes to providing Naloxone kits to persons treated for drug toxicity or drug addiction.
Although he asked for detox help after an overdose, Turner was released from Regina’s General Hospital in November 2021… and died a few hours later from another overdose.
Turner’s family came to the legislature a couple of months ago asking for an inquest. Inquests are automatic for deaths in custody, but Turner’s death was not considered an in-custody one.
“The Saskatchewan Coroners Service continues to work collaboratively with local agencies and the Drug Task Force to reduce drug-related harm across the province,” Chief Coroner Clive Weighill said in a media release.
The Opposition Saskatchewan NDP issued a release on the matter.
“Shayne is just one of many Saskatchewan people who have tragically died because the Sask. Party government failed to fix the broken mental health system,” said Beck in their release. “We have a mental health and addictions crisis in this province and 2023 needs to be a year of solutions, not slogans, from Scott Moe and his ministers.”
