Al-Hasnawi Investigation

Disturbing allegations tonight that the delay in getting good samaritan Yosif Al-Hasnawi to hospital was part of a series of errors.

In fact, St. Joe’s Hospital had just introduced that day a new way to treat patients and were caught off guard by the delivery of the young man, already at death’s door.

He arrived to the emergency department without vital signs.

His family says he wouldn’t have died were it not for the negligence of police, paramedics and the hospital.

In a $10 million dollar lawsuit Al-Hasnawi’s family claims St. Joe’s “Failed to administer proper healthcare and treatment” when he arrived at the hospital.

In its statement of defence the hospital says it’s not responsible for the 19 year old’s death and has said “All life saving measures were taken”.

But a number of healthcare sources say there was chaos at the hospital that night and they weren’t prepared.

That morning December 2nd 2017, the hospital had launched a new digital system and employees were still getting used to it.

Sources also say Al-Hasnawi wasn’t given blood at the hospital.

We asked to speak to St. Joe’s about this today but they refused instead sending us a statement saying “We are confident in the measures taken by doctors and staff in the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton”

Al-Hasnawi was shot in the stomach trying to stop an older man from being harassed outside his mosque.

The two paramedics who witnesses say didn’t take his wound seriously are now facing criminal charges.

29-year-old Chris Marchant of Whitby and 53-year old Steven Snively of Hamilton have been charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.

They’ve been on administrative leave since the shooting.

It took 38 minutes from the time paramedics arrived on scene to when the ambulance arrived at St. Joseph’s, he was pronounced dead 19 minutes later.

There has been criticism of the paramedics for not taking Al-Hasnawi to the Hamilton General Hospital, which was closer and is a regional trauma centre.

Hamilton Police have charged 19-year old Dale Burningsky King with second-degree murder and 20 year old James Matheson with accessory after the fact to murder.

It seems that the decision to charge the two paramedics involved, caused a number of people to reach out and share their stories about what happened the night Yosif was shot. Triggered perhaps by the Niagara Police investigation which ended without addressing any of the questions surrounding the involvement of the police and hospital in Al Hasnawi’s death.