Page - 496 - in VULNERABLE - The Law, Policy and Ethics of COVID-19

VULNERABLE496 health risks during SARS,34 the health care workers who blew the whistle on the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre cardiac surgery program,35 and Dr. Nancy Oliveri’s disclosure, despite strong warn- ings from the manufacturer and others, of risks associated with the use of deferiprone to her patients.36 Not surprisingly, each of these incidents sparked calls for stron- ger whistleblowing protections.37 Imposing effective regulations on employers and institutions fosters a workplace culture that promotes wider disclosure of risks to public health and patient safety.38 However, despite repeated calls for improvement, whistleblower protection across Canada is piecemeal at best.39 Some provinces (for example, Ontario) have laws that protect whistleblowers, but their application is limited to certain types of activities or workers.40 Most notable for broad protection is Manitoba, which enacted comprehen- sive legislation for health care workers following the Sinclair inquiry. The Public  Interest  Disclosure  (Whistleblower  Protection)  Act  and accom- panying regulations protect health care workers who make a disclo- sure in good faith against reprisals.41 34. The SARS Commission, SARS  Commission  Executive  Summary (Toronto: The SARS Commission, 2006) (Commissioner: The Honourable Justice Archie Campbell), online: Archives of Ontario <http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/e_records/sars/ report/index.html> [Campbell]. The SARS Commission brought to light real fears of reprisals and retaliation among health care workers. 35. Justice Murray Sinclair, The  Report  of  the  Manitoba  Paediatric  Cardiac  Surgery  Inquest (Winnipeg: Provincial Court of Manitoba, 27 November 2000) [Sinclair]. 36. Mariam Schuman, “The Drug Trial: Nancy Olivieri and the Scandal That Rocked the Hospital For Sick Children” (Toronto: Random House Canada, 2005). 37. Campbell, supra note 34; Sinclair, supra note 35; Jon Thompson, Patricia Baird & Jocelyn Downie, Report  of  the  Commission  of  Inquiry  on  the  Case  Involving  Dr. Nancy  Olivieri,  the  Hospital  for  Sick  Children,  the  University  of  Toronto,  and  Apotex  Inc. (Ottawa: Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2001). 38. Aled Jones, “The Role of Employee Whistleblowing and Raising Concerns in an Organizational Learning Culture–Elusive and Laudable?” (2016) 5:1 Int J Health Policy Manag 67 at 67. 39. Miriam Shuman, “Medical Whistle-Blower Protection Lacking” 2008 CMAJ 178 (12) 1529; Elise von Scheel, “‘A Tissue Paper Shield’: Expert Slams Canada’s Lack of Protections for Whistleblowers”, CBC News (16 November 2019), online: <https:// www.cbc.ca/news/politics/whistleblower-trump-canada-laws-1.5360774>. 40. For example, in Ontario, the Occupational  Health  and  Safety  Act,  RSO 1990, c O.1, s 50, includes whistleblower protection for workers who report on work- place safety as opposed to public health. See also: Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower  Protection)  Act, SA 2012, c P-39.5; The Public Interest Disclosure Act, SS 2011, c P-38.1. 41. CCSM c P217 [Public  Interest  Disclosure  (Whistleblower  Protection)  Act]; Public Interest  Disclosure  (Whistleblower  Protection)  Regulation, Man Reg 64/2007.