‘It’s finally here:’ Family’s wait is over for inquest into Uko’s death

The last two years couldn’t have felt longer for Samwel Uko’s family.

Uko was 20 years old when he died by drowning in Wascana Lake on May 21, 2020. He had sought medical help for mental health issues shortly before his death by going to a Regina hospital, but was turned away without getting any support.

A public inquest into Uko’s death began Monday at the Ramada Hotel in Regina. A six-person jury was selected and is expected to hear from 25 witnesses over the course of the inquest.

The inquest is expected to last until June 6.

Justin Nyee has been waiting patiently for the inquest to begin to get a better understanding of what happened to his nephew.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time and it’s finally here,” he said before Monday’s proceedings. “It has been very stressful waiting to get some of our answers.”

There is no lack of questions on Nyee’s end.

He wants to know why his nephew was denied support, who made the decision to kick him out of the hospital, what were the hospital’s protocols, and what can be done moving forward to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“We have seen people with mental health issues still being delayed at the hospital (and) some are not getting the care they deserve. So yeah, we have a lot of questions that need answers,” Nyee said.

The pain hasn’t got any easier for the family. Nyee is hopeful the inquest will provide some closure.

“It’s hard not to talk to him, not to hear from him, not to see him at the door knocking and saying ‘Hey, I was passing by. I came to check on you.’ Yeah, it has been very hard,” Nyee said.

“It’s still so hard that he’s gone.”

In July of 2020, the Saskatchewan Health Authority apologized to Uko’s family for its role in his death, saying he “did not get the care he needed” when he visited the Regina General Hospital seeking help.

The inquest into Uko’s suicide was called in June of 2020 and dates were set for September 2021. It was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and rescheduled to January, but was postponed again to May due to rising cases of COVID.