'Dying before they even get to the hospital': Study examines migrant farm worker deaths during pandemic

Migrant workers in Ontario faced significant gaps in access to medical care during the pandemic, which led to a number of preventable deaths.

The information is included in the findings of a study that examined circumstances around several fatalities.

“Individuals who don’t know about 9-1-1, don’t know their address, so if an ambulance is dispatched it could be dispatched to the wrong address.” said Susana Caxaj, lead investigator and assistant professor of nursing at Western University.

The study examined coroners’ records of migrant farm worker deaths in Ontario between 2021 and 2022.

It found in many cases, migrant farm workers knew very little about how to access care.

“People who are admitted to the hospital and are unsure about whether to accept emergency care because they don’t know what costs are associated with it,” said Caxaj.

The study found several factors that contributed to fatalities, including poor testing protocol and limited oversight.

“The question is what is the government’s responsibility to oversee adequate inspections, and what is the public health care system’s responsibility to build adequate relationships with migrant agricultural workers?” said Caxaj.

According to researchers, nine migrant farm workers died in Ontario during the period under study — some just days after testing positive for COVID-19.

None of the deceased workers’ files had contact tracing information. Further, in some cases it was left up to the employer to monitor sick workers’ symptoms.Susana Caxaj, lead investigator and assistant professor of nursing at Western University speaks with CTV News London via Zoom, Feb. 4, 2022. (Bryan Bicknell / CTV News)The study found there was no standard protocol when it came to quarantine conditions on farms, nor was there a standard level of oversight by public health agencies. Some migrant workers died while they were self-isolating.

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) said in a statement to CTV News that, “Substantial investments have been made to support international agri-food workers.”

The statement went on to say, “Our government has provided more than $36 million to the agri-food sector through the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection which has helped improved worker health and safety. An additional $22 million has been provided through the Agri-Tech Innovation Program, which has provided supports to enhance workers’ safety and the adoption of innovations and technology to enable better physical distancing between workers in the workplace. We have provided $220,000 in funding to the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers to support research into available mental health services and supports specific to the needs of international agri-food workers.”

The OMAFRA statement also pointed to new Ministry of Health guidance on testing, contact management, and isolation. It also said international agri-food workers are provided information on OHIP coverage and vaccines on arrival to Canada.

Caxaj said advocates for migrant farm workers will continue to apply pressure. “We’re asking for standard orientation of migrant agricultural workers,” she said. “The most concrete example is migrant agricultural workers dying before they even get to the hospital.