An orderly who screamed at a terminally ill veteran at the Hull Hospital because he wasn’t speaking French should be fired says his family.

“We won’t be happy until we know that this man is not in a position to abuse families in vulnerable situations again,” said Steve Long, the son-in-law of John Gervais, who is dying of lung cancer.

“He needs to be fired.”

It’s difficult enough for John and his wife Iris Beeler-Gervais as they spend their last weeks together.

But now every day at the hospital, they fear they’ll see the orderly who screamed “This is Quebec!” and “I don’t speak English” as they hoped to get admitted to the emergency room.

The orderly was disciplined and sent home the day of the incident Oct. 12, and was sent to work on another floor, the hospital said Monday.

John’s son-in-law Steve Long says it’s not nearly enough.

His mother nearly collapsed when she saw him walking down the corridor at the hospital Sunday.

“It upset her tremendously,” he said. “Just to see him reminds her of the situation and she had to sit down she was so upset.”

He understands the hospital may not have the power to fire him but it’s difficult to see him still working with patients.

“I don’t really understand how staff can say an employee behaved incorrectly, it was unacceptable, and yet nothing is done about it,” he said.

The whole altercation happened in front of dozens of witnesses in the emergency room, but only one was brave enough to step forward and apologize.

Hospital spokesman Alain Seguin admitted Monday his behaviour was unacceptable but that the incident was being investigated.

That doens’t ease the family’s angst.

“He’s still working with sick people,” he said.

As Steve went to the orderly’s supervisor to complain, another nurse approached his sister-in-law to apologize.

“He quietly said, ‘I’m very sorry that this had to happen to you, and if you need anybody to back up your story, tell them to come see me,’” he said.

The hospital ombudsman is investigating, and a decision could take as long as 45 days.

During a heated debate between Steve and the orderly’s supervisor about his behaviour, the employee got so agitated, he quit on the spot, Steve said.

But the orderly eventually calmed down and took back his resignation.

Steve wishes he hadn’t. It would be faster than watching the bureaucracy work the case.

“‘This is my job, you’re not going to scare me off,’” the orderly told Steve.

The kicker: he was speaking in perfect English.

mike.aubry@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ottawasunmaubry