The death of a 17-year-old boy in Kitimat has prompted Skeena MLA Claire Rattée to call for an independent review and the immediate activation of a long-awaited CT scanner at Kitimat General Hospital, saying the tragedy highlights gaps in emergency diagnostic care in the region.
“A mother lost her son because the system failed him at every stage,” said Rattée, the Conservative Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addictions.
“He endured severe stomach pain for years, dismissed as constipation. Last month, he waited nearly five hours in the ER while turning blue before a CT was finally arranged in Terrace—but no ambulance was available. He had to wait for one from Terrace. This should never happen in British Columbia.”
According to Rattée, the teen, identified only as Vincent, died at 10:48 p.m. before he could be transferred for the scan that may have detected and treated a congenital hernia. Rattée’s office said she has spoken with the boy’s family and has their permission to speak publicly about the circumstances of his death.
She is now calling on the Ministry of Health to launch an independent review of the incident and to activate the Kitimat CT scanner for emergency use without delay.
“How many more people have to die before this government gets the CT scanner running in Kitimat?” Rattée asked.
The scanner project—widely seen in the community as a vital improvement to local health care—is being funded through a $4.7-million partnership between the Kitimat General Hospital Foundation (KGHF), the Northwest Regional Hospital District (NWRHD), and the provincial government.
KGHF secured most of its $2.4-million share by late 2023 through community donations, including $800,000 from the District of Kitimat, as well as major contributions of $500,000 from the Max Lange Foundation and $900,000 from LNG Canada.
LNG Canada’s funding was contingent on the scanner being installed and operational within 18 months. To meet that timeline, the foundation delayed signing the agreement until the province confirmed its share of the funding.
That commitment did not come until September 2024—nearly a year after local funding was secured. Renovations to house the scanner didn’t begin until August 2025. While the equipment is now on site, it won’t be operational until that work is complete. Rattée has criticized the province’s timeline and is calling for the scanner to be made available for emergency use in the meantime.
“The community stepped up. The government didn’t,” said Rattée. “The equipment that could have helped this boy was sitting behind a construction barrier.”
Asked directly by Black Press Media whether the Ministry would launch a formal review, as requested by Rattée, Health Minister Josie Osborne did not comment. She also did not respond to Rattée’s criticism that the provincial government failed to prioritize the project, but said the province was confident it would be completed by spring.
“The loss of any child is incredibly tragic, and my heart goes out to this family,” Osborne said. “I urge any family in a situation like this with concerns to bring them forward to the Patient Care Quality Office, because it’s incredibly important that matters like this are looked into.”
According to Northern Health, renovations at Kitimat General Hospital are expected to be complete in early 2026, with the CT scanner beginning service for urgent and semi-urgent diagnostic needs. Full operations are anticipated later in the spring. Staff training is already underway, and additional testing and approval processes are required, as this is a new service rather than a replacement. The renovation schedule was designed to minimize disruption to hospital operations.
Between 2018 and 2022, Kitimat residents received an average of about 1,500 CT scans per year—most performed in Terrace. Northern Health says the new scanner is expected to reduce patient travel, ease demand on ambulance transfers, and support recruitment, retention and student training at the hospital.
Computed tomography is a critical diagnostic tool used to assess trauma, stroke, cancer and other serious conditions. The expanded imaging department at Kitimat General Hospital is expected to give physicians faster access to diagnostic information and improve care delivery.