‘This is inhumane’: Quebec family speaks out after facing hospital visit restrictions
Mario Boccardi, 79, died while in hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19. After facing strict visitation rules during his final days, a Montreal family is mourning the death of its patriarch.
“He was our pillar,” his daughter Cristina Boccardi said. “He did what he had to do to raise his family. He really gave his all, he was a very selfless man.”
Mario Boccardi lived with Parkinson’s for 20 years, but was recently diagnosed with cancer. He was admitted to Santa Cabrini Hospital.
At the hospital, he tested positive for COVID-19. From that point on, according to his daughter, the level of care was inadequate. She says that, at one point, he went nearly an entire day without his medication.
“They knew he was COVID positive. They just put him in that room and it was like 'goodbye',” Boccardi said. “My dad had to be put in palliative care, not in isolation. We all knew he was dying of cancer.”
Since late December, hospital visits have been restricted. In Boccardi’s case, the family says they were told no visitors could enter at all.
His daughter says she managed to convince security to allow her mother in.
“I begged and begged,” Boccardi said.
The regional health authority wouldn’t comment on a specific case, but says no visitors are admitted to hot zones. A patient is also not admitted to palliative care if they are positive.
Cristina says just a couple of hours before her father died, three family members were allowed in, but her father was unresponsive.
“At some point something needs to change,” Michael Ortika, his grandson, said. “This is very unacceptable.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.