Chief in Jean Marie River, NWT, says her community is in the midst of a serious outbreak of respiratory disease.
Melanie Menacho is chief of the Tthets'éhk'edélî First Nation on the Jean Marie River.
She told the CBC they don't yet know what the disease is going around, but it has spread to “about half” of the households in the community of about 70 people in two weeks.
“There's a lot of people who cough. It's kind of a respiratory thing. It just attacks your lungs,” she said.
Menacho himself is currently recovering from the disease. She said that for a week she was having trouble breathing and was struggling to get out of bed. She continues to experience fatigue and weakness, and a severe cough.
“It's very scary,” she said.
Menacho said the band office on the Jean Marie River was closed Friday in an effort to limit the spread of the disease. They are also urging residents to limit visits to each other if possible and to check in on sick friends and family by phone rather than in person.
She said the band council will meet remotely on Monday to decide if it's safe to reopen the office.
There are no health workers in the community
Menacho is also calling on the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority to send doctors to the Jean Marie River to diagnose and care for community members.
There are no medically trained health workers in Jean Marie River, and community members often travel 120 kilometers to Fort Simpson to see a nurse.
Menacho told the CBC she has been in contact with Nehendah MLA Shane Thompson about the outbreak and the need for visiting medical staff.
Thompson confirmed to the CBC that he spoke with Menacho about the disease in the community, and that he has spoken with several other community members who have similar concerns.
He said he has been in contact with NWT Health Minister Lesa Semler, and is advocating for the Northwest Territories Health Authority to send staff into communities to diagnose and care for those who are ill.
Thompson said Semler told him the health authority was working to provide help, but as of Saturday afternoon, they had not heard from the health authority about whether they would send staff.
CBC reached out to the North West Region Health and Social Services Authority, but did not receive a response before publication.
