BC Conservatives demand answers after 17-year-old boy died

In October this year, a 17-year-old boy died in Kitimat while he was waiting hours for a CT scan.

The district’s BC Conservative MLA, Claire Rattée, is now criticizing the provincial government for his death and is demanding answers from Health Minister Josie Osborne.

She says the boy, Vincent, waited five hours in excruciating pain before an appointment could be arranged for him.

While waiting, Vincent was losing colour and experiencing difficulties breathing.

According to Rattée, Vincet died just shortly before he was supposed to be transported to the hospital in Terrace, receiving the scan there.

“A CT was finally arranged in Terrace, but no ambulance was available. He had to wait for one from Terrace,” explained Rattée.

She and the BC Conservatives called the tragic event “unacceptable” and “entirely preventable.”

“This should never happen in British Columbia.”

She especially criticizes the lack of equipment in the hospital in Kitimat, which means that residents have to drive at least 45 minutes to Terrace.

“It is not reasonable for a community of over 8.000 residents to have to go 45 minutes to be able to access emergency services and a hospital,” Rattée told 1130 NewsRadio.

CT scanner ready by spring 2026

“We did not have a CT scanner in our hospital. And so back in 2023, the community actually fundraised enough money on their own to purchase a CT scanner.”

The CT scanner, however, is not yet available in the hospital due to construction, according to B.C.’s Ministry of Health.

“The equipment that could have helped this boy was sitting behind a construction barrier,” Rattée said.

Minister Osborne says she expects the scanner to be up and running in spring 2026.

Rattée criticizes the government for not speeding up the process of installing the scanner, which it did not even pay for.

“For whatever reason, this government dragged its feet and did not actually start on the construction phase of putting the CT scanner in until August,” she said.

“What’s really frustrating about that is that there were ministers who came up and basically did this whole look at us, look at the CT scanner, almost trying to take credit.”

Community feels left behind by government

She adds that community members told her that they do not feel like being treated as a priority by the government.

“We do not have the same quality of health care in our region, and that’s not for a lack of great people working within health care and really trying to make a difference, but [it is because] we do not have access to the diagnostic tools.”

Rattée explains that Vincent died from a congenital hernia, which had been dismissed as constipation earlier.

She says she advocated for the boy and informed the Minister of Health’s office about the case, but did not receive a response.

Rattée calls for an independent review into Vincent’s death and a release of the findings publicly.

Additionally, she says the Kitimat CT scanner should be activated immediately for emergency use now.

During Question Period on Tuesday, Minister Osborne said that she could not talk about individual cases.

With files from Srushti Gangdev.