Head of West Island health authority called back to testify at Herron inquest
The head of the West Island health authority is being called back to testify at the coroner's inquest into the Herron long-term care home.
Lynne McVey, CEO of the CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, will be the final witness to testify on Oct. 26.
Coroner Géhane Kamel announced last month she would extend the hearings because she said testimony had been contradictory and left her with too many unanswered questions.
"At least then it will feel like I have closed the loop with Herron," Kamel said at the time.
"Maybe I won't have all of my answers, but at least I can sleep soundly."
McVey was the first person to testify at the Herron inquest in early September. She said the owner of the home, the Katasa Group, wasn't fully cooperative and didn't immediately hand over medical records of patients.
Later on, the inquest heard from witnesses who said the health authority was slow to respond to the crisis.
A total of 47 people died at Herron during the pandemic's first wave in the spring of 2020.
The inquest heard how patients at the facility endured appalling conditions in late March and early April of that year.
