A Lethbridge woman claims discharged patients with disabilities have been "abandoned at the curb" outside of Chinook Regional Hospital, September 3, 2023. (Photos: Pauline Johnston)

By David Opinko

‘Abandoned at the curb’ – officials investigating incidents at Chinook Regional Hospital

Sep 7, 2023 | 5:45 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – One resident who lives next to the hospital in Lethbridge has alleged that discharged patients with disabilities are being left alone outdoors with no help in sight.

Pauline Johnston wrote to LNN on Monday, September 4, 2023, and said that she has observed “numerous incidents” during the last 10 years in which she has lived in a home on 9 Avenue South, on the northern end of Chinook Regional Hospital.

She stated that contracted security personnel at the hospital, representing Paladin Security and Alberta Health Services (AHS) Peace Officers, have been removing patients from the hospital premises and leaving them at the invisible property line near or inside the Lethbridge Transit glass shelter.

The most recent incident reportedly occurred on Sunday, September 3, at approximately 10:40 p.m.

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Johnston claims that a Paladin Security guard walked a discharged patient in a hospital wheelchair to the glass bus shelter and took the wheelchair back into the hospital. The resident added that the patient was unable to walk or stand properly on their own as they had medical support braces on both legs.

“She initially sat on the bench inside the bus shelter for a few minutes, then moved to the concrete ground, where she lay in a prone position for several more minutes. Subsequently, she attempted to stand but was unsuccessful. Eventually, she resorted to crawling on her hands and knees (like an animal) back towards the hospital property,” reads a letter from Johnston.

She continued, “As [the patient] attempted to return to the hospital, she was intercepted by two Paladin Security guards at the property line, who denied her access to the premises. These guards observed the woman crawling on her hands and knees, unassisted back towards the bus shelter, before they returned to the hospital.”

Johnston said she had contacted the Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) at 10:59 p.m. to request a wellness check on the patient.

Officers arrived at the scene at 11:42 p.m. and took the patient to another location.

In her letter to LNN, Johnston called the actions by the members of Paladin Security and AHS “deplorable” and wondered what would have happened to the patient if not for her intervention.

She said, “It borders on inhumane to leave someone at the curb like discarded garbage and watch them crawl like a dog, especially when the individual posed no physical threat to anyone and clearly suffered from medical and mental health issues.”

Johnston said that this was far from being an isolated incident, reportedly having witnessed similar situations throughout the summer, one of which allegedly involved a person confined to a wheelchair spending three days and two nights in the bus shelter after being “abandoned at the curb.”

AHS and Paladin Security have issued brief statements to LNN, saying that they are aware of the alleged incident on September 3 and are investigating. AHS said it cannot comment on specific patient cases in order to protect patient confidentiality.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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