Nurse Dies of SARS

North York General mourns loss of 'member of our own family'

June 30, 2003
By HIMANI EDIRIWEERA, TORONTO SUN

Ontario's first health-care worker died of SARS yesterday, pushing the province's death toll from the virus to 39. The 51-year-old nurse worked at North York General Hospital, the epicentre of the latest outbreak.

"The flags are lowered at North York General Hospital to our colleague in tribute," said Ingrid Perry Peacock, V-P of administration. "It's never easy to lose a patient and even worse that we lost a member of our own family."

Peacock said with respect for the family, the name of the victim would not be released.

The ministry of health did not say if the nurse was a man or woman.

TRAGIC OUTBREAK

"This tragic outbreak has claimed many victims. My thoughts go out to the family and friends of this health-care worker who worked so tirelessly for all of us," Tony Clement, Ontario's minister of health, said in a press release last night.

The last SARS-related death in the province was June 22.

As of last Friday, the government reported 23 active probable SARS cases in Toronto. Fifteen of those were listed as critical. Another two cases were listed as suspect.

More than 27,000 people have been forced into quarantine since SARS first appeared in late February.

The contagious disease has also ravaged the city's economy and the province's health-care funding.

Last week, the province presented the federal government with a breakdown of $945 million it spent to date on costs related to SARS.

$395 MILLION

Those include $395 million for hospitals and other health-care institutions to cover extra staff expenses, buy gloves and other protective gear, and build specialized clinics and isolation rooms.

Another $330 million went to replace lost wages for health-care workers forced into quarantine.

Earlier this month, the federal government promised Ontario a financial bail-out package of $150 million and promised to negotiate on another possible $100 million. The province has rejected the offer.

Some provincial officials have deplored Ottawa's slow pace in providing aid.

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