The Canadian Mental Health Association is weighing in on a tragic incident at the Waterford that resulted in the death of a man who was a patient.
Thirty-year-old Thomas Parsley has been charged with 2nd degree murder after the 66-year-old victim was rushed to hospital on Thursday. He was in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.
The daughter of the man who died took to social media on the weekend to express her grief and calls the health and mental health care systems “unbelievably broken.”
Chandra Kavanagh, the CEO of the NL branch of the mental health association, is deeply saddened by the death, and sends condolences to his loved ones.
Dr. Chandra Kavanagh
Kavanagh says the incident highlights the need for ongoing systemic improvements, including modern facilities and expanded community-based supports to ensure incidents like the one last week do not happen again.
Her fear is that there were warning signs, including an uptick over the past few months in mental health concerns in this province.
She cites a recent report by the national association that ranks Newfoundland and Labrador number one when it comes to the worst self-reported mental health in the country. NL also has the highest number of hospitalizations for self harm in Canada.
She’s calling for an investigation, and says this province cannot afford to wait until the new mental health and addictions facility is ready.
