Native Council of P.E.I. survey reveals gaps within healthcare system for off-reserve Indigenous patients

The NCPEI suggests the Island’s off-reserve Indigenous population is experiencing disproportionately high rates of chronic disease and mental health issues. It revealed the off-reserve Indigenous population doesn't feel that Health P.E.I. acknowledges either the need for cultural support or the challenges it has. The survey calls for more culturally sensitive healthcare, such as allowing access to smudging and other traditional practices and establishing a provincial aboriginal health advisory committee. The results suggest indicators for the off-reserve population could be much worse than those of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people nationally:

• 24% of respondents reported fair or poor health, double the rate of non-Indigenous Canadians. Nationally, 19.6% of Indigenous people experience poor health;
• 33% of off-reserve respondents said they experienced high blood pressure and 18% experienced diabetes. Nationally, 22% of off-reserve First Nations people experience high blood pressure, while 8.2% of off-reserve Indigenous people experience diabetes;
• 30% of respondents indicated mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and PTSD; and
• 24% reported addiction issues.