The truth be told: The pandemic is still with us

BY STEVEN KASZAB

I was going to visit an ill friend this past Saturday, but St. Michaels 9th floor was isolated with a COVID-19 outbreak. This also happened on the first floor of La Verendrye Hospital (Riverside) in Fort Francis as well the West Wing of Rainycrest was added to a large list of COVID-19 outbreaks throughout the nation.

The usual precautions are taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but are not limited to:

• General visitors will be restricted to the bottom floors of hospitals
• Palliative patients can have up to four visitors, two at a time, plus one essential caregiver
• Exposed staff will be separated from non-exposed medical staff
• N95 masks are essential for staff and visitors in all designated areas.

Emergency units in many hospitals are closing down for periods of a few days to a week and beyond throughout the nation, especially in medical centres, and hospitals in rural and small town locations. Lack of staff and personal staff fatigue are reasons for this continual action. Staff are often taking vacations, or just not returning to their employers. Lack of professional assistance, better pay and overall lacking working conditions seems to persist through our medical facilities.

Bill 124 has brought about controversy within the Ministry of Health amongst various public sector unions and hospital staff members. Limiting pay increases to 1% annually, the medical and nursing staff of Ontario hospitals are calling for both legal and labour action. They have been staffing our hospitals all this while, and the pandemic continues to spread its viral tentacles with no end in sight.

All the weaknesses our health system had before the pandemic came continue to show themselves. Various governments seem unwilling to spend the needed funds to not only fight this virus, but also to strengthen the health system we rely upon.

For many of our national and regional governments the health portfolio has been and continues to be seen as a money pit, sucking up funds that many administrations could use elsewhere. Paying our experienced staff will keep them here where they are needed, not just now but in the near future too. Many hospitals are receiving newbie staff, without the necessary experience essential. Experienced medical staff members have become very much like essential managers who show their new associates how it gets done. Many of our governments are at fault, putting budgetary concerns before the welfare of our neighbours.

This is a global issue. Statistics place the need for new nurses within the region of the Caribbean at 7,500+, and in Latin-Central America at a further 18,330+.  Imagine how many skilled medical professionals passed away due to the pandemic. All our hospitals are full, and medical professionals, namely family doctors, are still unprepared to deal with this pandemic, sending many of their patients to emergency centres. It is unfortunate to say, but many administrations pretend the worst of the pandemic is behind us.