In his room, police say they found meth, and drug paraphernalia but at this stage of the ongoing investigation there has been no evidence Dubois had the drug in his system.
Prior to her current role at SEIU, worked as a nurse at St. Paul’s hospital in Saskatoon. She said she is familiar with those under the influence of methamphetamine, adding it creates patients who are unpredictable and very strong. She also confirmed that while there is ongoing training available, better communication with health care staff could help.
“I want to just draw attention to the fact that it’s not only a drug issue. We can’t always see these people coming. Sometimes it’s the 83-year-old dementia patient that you’re dealing with that will be just as much of a risk.”
SEIU West is currently assisting with recruitment at Royal University Hospital and Zunti stated one of the challenges they face is pay.
“People will tell other security officers that they’re not willing to put themselves on the line for what they get paid,” she said.
On Monday, the President of CUPE 5439 Bashir Jalloh said one of the solutions they have proposed is to train security officers in-house versus contracting them out. He suggested t could be a real benefit having someone who was familiar with the day-to-day operations and protocols.
When asked for her opinion, Zunti said it’s a good idea.
“We are teams so it’s very important to have that other team member whom I have that relationship with, and knows the protocols of healthcare, and has a vested interest in keeping that healthcare facility safe.”
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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com
On X: @nigelmaxwell